65-yr-old airlifted to city for heart op

A 65-year-old patient was airlifted from Ranchi to undergo a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure at the Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai. The patient was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis five years back and was also suffering from severe kidney and liver injuries, along with a severe urinary tract infection. She is now stable and has been asked to undergo follow-up treatment at the hospital.

Doctors at the hospital said the patient was reluctant to undergo surgery and continued medical management.

Last year, however, her condition worsened and she had to be admitted to the ICU in Ranchi requiring non-invasive ventilation due to severe breathlessness.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive heart procedure to replace a thick aortic valve that can't be opened completely. This aortic valve is located between the lower heart chamber called the left ventricle and the body's main artery. In case the valve doesn't open correctly, the flow of blood from the heart to the body is reduced. TAVR helps to restore the blood flow by reducing the signs and symptoms of aortic valve stenosis which include – chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and fainting.

Consultant cardiologist at the Wockhardt Hospital (Mumbai Central), Dr Ankur Phatarpekar said the patient was advised to opt for openheart surgery around five years back, for severe aortic stenosis. “When she landed at Wockhardt her heart pumping was 10 to15 per cent which is low and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation multiple times. She also had other complications. At this point in time, performing TAVI surgery was very risky. On the third day post-surgery, the heart pumping improved to 40 per cent and she developed a severe fatal allergic reaction due to one of the medicines. The infection in her body flared up and she grew four highly resistant bugs in her blood,” he said, adding that she is now fine after a change of medicine and her kidney functions and liver parameters have also improved.

The doctor recommends TAVR surgery if one has severe aortic stenosis with symptoms and issues in the functioning of biological tissue aortic valves. Patients with health conditions such as kidney or lung diseases that make open-heart valve replacement surgery complicated can also opt for the procedure.