SRM Global Hospitals Implants a First-of-Its-Kind Heart Valve in 77-Year-Old Patient

Chennai, May 2024: The medical team at SRM Global Hospitals has successfully performed a catheter-based surgery and implanted an artificial aortic valve in a 77 year-old patient, who developed severe calcified iodic stenosis, a condition characterised by the narrowing of the heart valve. The implanted valve, named Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra, ranks among the most advanced and safe heart valves globally. This patient is the inaugural recipient of this cutting-edge technology.

In another first, the surgery used an innovative sheath (Edwards E-Sheath) that ensured the safe delivery of the valve, preventing any damage to surrounding tissues, as it was guided through a blood vessel from the groin to the heart. Following the minimally-invasive surgery conducted on May 9, the patient recovered swiftly. He started walking and resumed a normal diet the very next day of the 55-minute procedure that went eventless.

In his comments, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, President, SRM Global Hospitals, said, “In the modern age, where diseases like heart conditions weigh heavily on communities, it’s crucial for hospitals to embrace cutting-edge medical advancements. This enables them to offer patients the assurance of safety and an improved quality of life. At SRM Global Hospitals, we continuously seek out and implement the latest proven solutions. Keeping this ethos in mind, we’ve employed Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra valve and Edwards E-Sheath technology to ensure optimal and safe treatment for a senior patient who has previously undergone surgical intervention. We are happy that the patient, the first one in India to be implanted with this latest innovation, is back to leading a normal life.”

In his comments, Dr. T.R. Muralidharan, Director of Institute of Cardiac Sciences, SRM Global Hospitals, who performed the surgery, said that the patient had been on medication for stenosis. But as the condition became severe, he required surgical intervention. However, the patient had undergone a bypass surgery about 12 years ago. Considering this past surgical intervention and his old age, an open heart surgery was ruled out. Hence we chose Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation surgery. Fortunately, Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra was just launched in India. Since the device promised significant reduction in major vascular complication such as valve leak, we opted for it. The patient became the first one in India to have been implanted with this most advanced artificial aortic valve.

Valve leak – or paravalvular leak, is a serious complication. It is associated with valve replacement or implantation surgery. It occurs when a space is left between natural heart tissue and the replaced valve. Several studies have proved that Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra minimises this risk with its innovative design. It reduces the risk of heart block leading to permanent pacemaker.