Patna: In a medical breakthrough, cardiologists at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) have successfully performed a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) on an extremely high-risk 77-year-old patient. This marks the first time the advanced procedure was conducted in a govt hospital in Bihar.As per the press release from the hospital, the patient was suffering from severe aortic stenosis alongside multiple severe comorbidities, including coronary artery disease with prior stenting, chronic lung disease, and prostate issues. Given his advanced age and pulmonary conditions, conventional open-heart surgery posed an exceptionally high mortality risk. He had been suffering from recurrent hospitalisations due to severe breathlessness.“Following a thorough evaluation, the hospital’s Heart Team recommended TAVI—a minimally invasive keyhole procedure that replaces the damaged valve without opening the chest or stopping the heart,” stated the press release.The procedure was performed in the cath lab by Dr Ravi Vishnu Prasad, professor and head of cardiology, along with cardiologists Dr Goutam Kumar, Dr Chandra Bhanu Chandan, cardiac anaesthetists, and specialised technicians.“TAVI has revolutionised the management of severe aortic stenosis, offering a life-saving alternative for elderly or high-risk patients unfit for surgery,” said Dr Prasad, adding that the feat proves IGIMS’s capability to deliver top-tier interventional cardiac care.
