Too old for an open-heart surgery!

ALEXIS offers TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) – An alternative option for open heart surgery in elderly patients

What could be worse than being told you need valve replacement surgery, an open heart surgery where a new valve is put inside your heart. Adding to this, being turned down for the procedure because you’re too old can be a nightmare. Elderly patients, compared with younger patients, requiring surgery always face a greater burden of risk factors and reduced functional levels. Hence the best suitable alternative to this is TAVI – Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

When a 73-year-old lady came to Alexis Hospital with history of severe breathlessness on exertion and she could not even perform her daily chores due to dyspnea, Dr. Shoeb Nadeem (Interventional Cardiologist) diagnosed her to have severe aortic valve stenosis i.e. one of her heart valve was severely damaged due to age related degeneration. Considering her age, hypertension and asthma, she was a very high risk case for open surgical valve replacement. Hence Dr Shoeb Nadeem suggested the option of TAVI, which is a minimally invasive procedure where valve replacement is done percutaneously. The alternative option was discussed with the family members, who were hopeful and opted for the same and the patient also consented to it. Prior to TAVI, her coronary angiography was done, which showed 90% blockage in one of her coronary artery, for which angioplasty with stenting was done. Following this Dr. Shoeb Nadeem along with his team performed a complex cardiac procedure, TAVI for this elderly patient who was severely symptomatic for her cardiac condition, and was not fit for open heart surgery. The procedure was done under mild sedation and local anesthesia only. The lady recovered fast and was mobilized the very next day. Shewas discharged on the fourth day after all minute observations and stability checks were through.

What is TAVI procedure?

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) involves inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in your upper leg or chest and passing it towards your aortic valve. The catheter is then used to guide and fix a replacement valve over the top of the old one. TAVI is less invasive than open heart surgery, as it uses a less invasive approach to treat a diseased aortic valve. The entire procedure typically takes approximately 1–2 hours only.

Dr. Shoeb Nadeem, Interventional Cardiologist says, “This procedure has offered a new ray of life to elderly patients with severe co-morbidities with sever aortic stenosis, as it is minimally invasive, and can be performed on high risk surgical cases and ensures early recovery.”

Dr Tushar Gawad, Director Administration shares that “At Alexis, we always believe in treating our patients with the optimum treatment option by providing highly advanced and easily accessible health care service by the best team of experts”.

Son of patient shares, “After meeting Dr Shoeb Nadeem, we were rest assured that my mom is in the safest hand. We blindly trusted him for the alternative option that he gave and today we cannot believe she has recovered so fast which was not possible with an open heart surgery, which was a high risk decision for us. We owe our deepest gratitude to the entire team of Alexis for such a quality & dependable care given to my mother.”