India’s first successful Percutaneous Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a non-surgical, without cardiopulmonary bypass, Cath Lab based heart valve replacement procedure was performed by a team of doctors led by Dr. Ashok Seth, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. The doctors at Fortis Escorts have performed this path-breaking and revolutionary procedure on three elderly patients, over 70 year old, with severe calcified Aortic stenosis.

These patients had severe breathlessness, heart failure, which could have resulted in sudden death. The procedure was life saving for these patients. These patients were also extremely high risk for ‘Valve Replacement by Surgery which involved opening up of chest and heart and putting patients on cardiopulmonary bypass. Two of them had already undergone previous bypass surgery, were more than 75 years of age, were frail and one lady also had extreme calcification of aortas because of which she could not have a valve replacement by surgery. She had been in severe heart failure necessitating even ventilator in recent past. All three patients for whom this was as life saving procedure have recovered well and walking.

Dr Ashok Seth has been involved in the early stage of development of the catheter-based valve replacement procedure and performed one of the first cases in the world in 2004. While briefing the media, Dr. Ashok Seth, Chairman - Cardiac sciences, Fortis Escorts Heart institute said, “This procedure would be a boon for such patients to be able to save their lives and continue to live through a relatively safe ‘non-surgical TAVI procedure. We are glad that with the introduction of TAVI procedure we would be able to offer this life saving procedure to many of our sick patients with calcified Aortic stenosis.”

TAVI procedure can be performed in the cath lab through rge groin in an angioplasty like procedure without opening the chest or putting the patient on bypass. The patient can be discharged soon after the surgery, unlike in a bypass surgery. Aortic stenosis is a life threatening disease of the valves which specifically increases with age and effects the elderly. Surgical valve replacement on cardiopulmonary bypass of these patients can be very high risk because of age and other risk factors like lung disease, kidney disease and previous bypass surgeries etc. If not treated, 50% of these patients can die within 1-year. The non-surgical aortic valve replacement was performed using the COREVALVE Revalving System.

Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, the first fully dedicated cardiac care facility in India is part of Fortis Healthcare Ltd. Fortis Escorts Heart Institute has set benchmarks in cardiac care with its path-breaking work over the past 22 years. Today, it is recognised world over as a centre of excellence, providing the latest technology in Cardiac Bypass Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery (Robotics), Interventional Cardiology, Non-invasive Cardiology, Paediatric Cardiology and Paediatric Cardiac Surgery. The hospital is backed by the most advanced laboratories performing a complete range of investigative tests in the field of Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Biochemistry, Haematology, Transfusion Medicine and Microbiology.