A unique medical feat at Apollo Hospitals

Jubilee Hills: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is one of the latest advancements in the field of Cardiology and it provides hope for the high-risk elderly who need aortic valve replacement. TAVR is an advanced suture less procedure performed to replace damaged aortic valve and is a boon for patients with high surgical risk.

January 14, 2019 was a historic day for Apollo Hospitals as five patients underwent TAVR on a single day, which is an Indian record. All the five were in an advanced age, critical condition and had high risk for open heart surgery for valve replacement. This is the first time such medical feat was performed in India.

Cardiologists at the Hospital, led by Dr A Sreenivas Kumar, Senior Consultant Cardiologist & Director, Cardiology and Clinical Research, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, created history by treating five critically ill patients suffering from valve disease with TAVR on a single day, a feat performed for the first time in the country.

Cardiologists having intensive training in TAVR with dexterity can perform and ensure good outcomes from this complex procedure. An excellent back-up from experienced team and state-of-the-art technology are other prerequisites to its success. Most patients coming for this procedure are in a critical condition and therefore flawless protocol becomes essential, according to Dr K Hari Prasad, President-Hospitals Division, Apollo Hospitals Group.

Apollo Has been in the forefront to bring the best technologies available in the world to fetch the best results for patients here and this procedure is one more in that league. With the improvement in lifestyles and consequent increase in life span, the diseases afflicting elders is also seen more off late and aortic valve disease belongs to that category. 30 to 40% of aortic valve patients, if not treated in time will die within 18 months to 2 years.

The gold standard treatment for this is replacing the valve by performing open heart surgery. But 40% of these patients were found to be ineligible for the surgery due to the high risk on account of advanced age and associated health problems. TAVR provides a new lease of life for such patients. The valves used previously were mostly from abroad, but some of these patients got Indian valves. This way a new procedure has come into the access of patients here and also become affordable with Indian valves bringing down the cost, he said.

The 'Heart Valve Therapy Program' is a boon for Indian patients, especially the ones for whom surgery option is closed and are left to endure the problem. The world's best treatment protocol is now within their reach, said Dr Sreenivas Kumar. Aortic valve replacement has been conventionally done by performing an Open Heart surgery, which involves high risk for the patient, besides needing a prolonged bed rest for recovery.

The novel procedure, TAVR is patient friendly with excellent results. It enables the patient to recover within two days. Being a minimally invasive procedure, it is done through a small aperture in the groin, with administering of anaesthesia for a limited period.