The CK Birla Hospital, Kolkata on May 16 announced that it will be offering Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive surgical procedures for valve replacement which has now become the most common go-to cardiac operation in Western countries.

With almost 95 per cent success rate, TAVI is considered to be the gold standard treatment for older and frail patients suffering from aortic-stenosis, who have been excluded from under-going open heart surgery before due to high risk. The advanced technology of TAVI has given hope of a new life to these geriatric population suffering from vascular disease.

The heart has four valves - mitral valve and tricuspid valve control blood flow from the atria to the ventricles, while aortic valve and  pulmonary valve control blood flow out of the ventricles. In short, the basic function of valves is to allow seamless flow of blood through the heart. When any of those valves are dysfunctional then previously an open heart surgery was performed to replace them.

Now with TAVI procedure the valves can be substituted without opening the heart. This procedure is done through the leg artery via  groin, where a catheter is passed all the way to the heart. By insertion of a prosthetic catheter through the circulatory system, the old valve is replaced with the new valve which immediately starts working for regulating blood flow. With overall technological advancement across the world, the mortality rate is decreasing quickly and people are living longer these days, especially in Western countries.

As older people are more prone to succumbing to such cardio-vascular disorders, they are also at risk when open heart surgery is performed on them. The most common symptom patients of aortic-stenosis face are chest pains, extreme breathlessness if they exert themselves and they may suffer fainting spells also.

After going through a complete pre-surgery check-ups including CT scan, X-Ray, blood test, the expert physicians recommend TAVI  which has now been proved to be one of the most cutting-edge surgical treatments by medical community across the world. Though TAVI is relatively expensive and few people can afford it. Additionally, this procedure is suitable for people who can go through a surgery.

“TAVI is safe and more effective than open heart surgery as there are no blood loss, much less risk of infection and fast recovery is  possible. In India close to 200 surgeries have been done to far, whereas in Eastern India hardly 1-2 have been done till now,” says Dr. Anjan Siotia, Department of Cardiology, CK Birla Hospitals - BM Birla Heart Research Centre “ At, CK Birla Hospitals- BM Birla Heart Research Centre, we offer the most cutting-edge and reliable technology to perform this surgery along with complete post-surgical care.

TAVI is undoubtedly more suitable for most of the patients suffering from aortic-stenosis,” he added. Dr. Siotia adds some points to be kept in mind while patients choose to go for TAVI procedure: “Always opt of a renowned physician who has hand-on knowledge and expertise on TAVI surgery, Verify the credibility of the hospital and its entire infrastructure, Go through a proper pre-operative risk  evaluation, Check your co-morbidities and Follow your post-surgery routine and therapy religiously. Go for regular check-ups as recommended by your doctor.”

Over the years TAVI has definitely emerged to be a life-saving surgery to numerous elderly patients across the world and India. In Eastern India, CK Birla Hospitals - BM Birla Heart Research Centre with its highly skilled doctors, world-class infrastructure, and extensive successful implementation of their research, is finally offering this progressive surgical technique for a much better quality of life.