Tiruchirapall

TAVI procedure performed

TIRUCHI

A successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure was performed on a septuagenarian by a team of doctors at Apollo Hospitals here. The patient, who hails from Thuraiyur in Tiruchi had been suffering from aortic stenosis which limited his day-to-day functioning.

Aortic stenosis is the critical narrowing of the valve guarding the main outflow chamber of the heart, a condition which can occur in ageing patients. It results in breathlessness, fatigue and treatment is usually a high-risk surgery.

“When the patient arrived at the hospital, he had been suffering from severe breathlessness for at least six months and other hospitals he had consulted had led him to believe that it was COVID-19. However, we detected the block and performed the procedure to remove it,” R. Ravindran, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals, said.

TAVI is a minimally invasive non-surgical procedure where an artificial valve is implanted in the heart through a blood vessel in the thigh. No anaesthesia, cardio-pulmonary bypass or surgical openings in the chest are required in the procedure.

The procedure was performed last week by a team of doctors comprising Dr. Ravindran, S. Saravanan, Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetist, Kader Sahib Ashraf, Cardiologist, and Shyam Sundar. The patient has recovered well and returned home on Sunday, Dr. Ravindran said.

Next Story