A 65-year-old Delhi woman has got a new lease of life after doctors performed two high-risk brain and heart surgeries on her in less than two months.

The patient was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm - a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain in February this year. Doctors did a high-risk surgery on her brain, but she was soon diagnosed with a Bicuspid Aortic valve or aortic valve with two flaps (cusps) instead of three, and calcific aortic stenosis, or thickened and stiffened valves.

It was a life-threatening situation, and she had already begun to have breathing difficulties. Because giving heparin (a blood thinner) could have resulted in brain haemorrhage, open-heart surgery could not be performed. As a result, the team of doctors opted for a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure on April 2.

"The challenge was that if these back-to-back surgeries had not been performed, the patient's life would not have been saved," said consultant, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery. The patient was discharged two days after the TAVR procedure and is doing well now, the doctors said.

"For me, taking the decision of going for back-to-back surgeries was quite stressful. However, doctors assured me that TAVR was a safe procedure that would have no negative consequences for me. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and I am now completely fine," she said.

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a thickened aortic valve that can't fully open. If the valve does not open properly, blood flow from the heart to the body becomes restricted.

Aortic valve stenosis can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, and fatigue. TAVR can help restore blood flow and reduce the signs and symptoms of stenosis. For people who are at risk of surgical aortic valve replacement complications, TAVR is a safe option, the doctors said.