THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 75-year-old man from the Maldives has successfully undergone a Trans catheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure guided by advanced 3D-CT imaging at KIMSHEALTH, Thiruvananthapuram. He was suffering from severe aortic valve stenosis, a serious condition in which narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve restricts blood flow from the heart, leading to increased pressure within the heart chambers. The patient came to the outpatient department with severe breathlessness. Detailed examinations revealed narrowing of the aortic valve in the major artery (aorta), which carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Considering the patient’s age and frailty, the medical team led by Dr. Shyam Sasidharan, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, opted for TAVI, a minimally invasive technique that replaces the aortic valve without the need for open-heart surgery. The procedure involves replacing the valve via a catheter inserted through the blood vessels, avoiding large incisions.
The procedure was performed using advanced 3D-CT imaging technology, which reconstructs a 3D image of the patient’s heart from a CT scan and overlays it on the cath lab’s live fluoroscopic imaging. “TAVI is considered an ideal option for elderly patients, those with respiratory illnesses, or those with reduced heart pumping function, who face higher risks from conventional open-heart surgery.
The procedure requires only mild anaesthesia, causes minimal blood loss, and allows patients to resume normal life within a few days after discharge,” said Dr. Shyam Sasidharan.
The treatment team included Dr. Ramesh Natarajan, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology; Dr. Shaji Palangadan, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery; Dr. S. Subhash, Consultant; and Dr. Hari Dev J J, Associate Consultant, Department of Cardiac Anaesthesiology.