Doctors in Chennai replace valve in 90-year-old's heart without surgery

Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Advances in science and medical technology have not only transformed lifestyles of people, but have also accelerated treatment of erstwhile fatal illnesses and added years to life expectancy across the world.

One such miracle resulting from progress in the medical field was pulled off in Chennai, where doctors saved a 980-year-old man suffering from severe aortic valve stenosis, which caused narrowing of the valve controlling blood-flow to his heart.

The surgery was so risky that many doctors turned Santhanam down fearing that cracking ribs open and stop the heart to replace the valve might lead to his death. The fact that there is no drug to prevent it didn’t help either.

But then a team of doctors led by Dr G Sengottuvelu came to the rescue, as they managed to accomplish the task without even performing a surgery.

The procedure involved inserting a new valve in the heart through a catheter which opens like an umbrella. The process also saved life of another 80-year-old.

This method is known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and is meant to help people older than 80, who face a risk to their life if they go for surgery.

Lakhs of people are found to be suffering from the condition and half of them die within a year. The scalpel is not used at all in the entire operation.