✍️By Special Correspondent
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a minimal invasive procedure where a new valve is inserted without removing the old, damaged valve. Somewhat similar to placing a stent in an artery, TAVI approach delivers a fully collapsible replacement Valve to the valve side through a catheter. Once the new valve is expanded, it pushes the old valve leaflets out of the way and the tissue in the replacement valve takes over the job of regulating blood flow, thus facilitating ejection blood out of heart.
A 78 year old patient diagnosed with Severe Aortic Stenosis, considering the age along with his comorbidities, patient was very high risk candidate for Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement, which is the conventional method of Aortic Valve Replacement now a days. So we planned to treat our patient with Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), which is a minimally invasive most modern, yet technically challenging method of aortic valve replacement. It gave an advantage of operating our patient under local anesthesia in a bloodless and pain free manner amounting for only 48 hours of hospital stay. TAVI/TAVR procedures are still very rare in our country also in our state, but it is the most innovative and potential way to treat patients who are at high risk for open heart surgery.
Dr. Auriom Kar (Consultant interventional Cardiologist) said “Till date TAVI surgery is in its infancy in our country. We look forward to promote this treatment and make people aware with cumulative endeavor and a vision to benefit more such patients in future. This procedure is available for patient with Sevier symptomatic calcific aortic stenosis with intermediate to high risk for standard surgical valve replacement”.
Dr. Sunandan Sikdar (Consultant Interventional Cardiologist) said “We have crossed many milestones in our goal to achieve best result. We have among few, done percutaneous valve replacements, device implants in heart failure patients and complex angioplasties. Electrophysiology Study (EP Study) and Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) is being done regularly with excellent results”
Dr. Arunansu Dhole (Consultant Cardiac Surgeon) said “So many cardiac cases we have been performed through MICS (Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery) successfully. Like CABG, Valve Replacement (AVR/MVR/DVR), ASD closure, LA myxoma, epicardiac lead replacement etc. We are doing thoracoscopic ASD closure which is having real technical challenges and it is being practiced few centre in this world. Now we are doing TAVI also which is already recognized procedure around the world.”
Usually, Valve Replacement required an open-heart procedure with a sternotomy in which chest is surgically opened. TAVI procedure can be done through a very small opening through femoral artery (Large artery in the groin) called transfemoral approach which does not required surgical incision on chest leaving all chest bone in place.
Mr. Subhasis Bhattacharya (Facility Director) said “Patients in our hospital have been witness to our active efforts to provide them the best of care and treatment. With these hi-tech additions we reinforce our commitment to bringing the most advanced technology to treat their medical issues”.