Hyderabad, 3rd December 2022: FACTS Foundation – a non-profit organization of Cardiologists and Cardiac Surgeons, committed to newer research, innovation, education, and training; in association with Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad; hosted a one-day interactive workshop ‘TAVI saves lives – TAVI for life’ at The Park Hotel, today. The workshop was inaugurated by cardiac valve disease patients, two of whom were aged 90 years each and an 80-year-old, all of whom are leading a normal life after being treated with Trans Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). TAVI is a great new advancement in the therapy for needy elderly patients who are suffering with Calcific Aortic Valve disease.
The Workshop was attended by over two hundred cardiologists from across both the Telugu states and over one thousand others through online live streaming. It focused on the latest advances in cardiac care, especially treatment for heart valve diseases through the novel minimally invasive valve replacement procedure, TAVI. The faculty comprising of Dr Susheel Kodali, Senior Cardiologist, Director – The Structural Heart & Valve Center at New York, Presbyterian/ Columbia University Medical Center, USA; Dr A. Sreenivas Kumar, Sr Consultant & Director, Interventional Cardiology, Apollo Hospitals; Dr M. Gokul Reddy, Sr Consultant Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals; Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Consultant Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals and Dr Ramakrishna J., Consultant Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals; empowered the delegates with the finer techniques of TAVI procedure, the convenience it brings to the treating cardiologist and the enormous benefits to the patient.
As part of the collaboration between Columbia University Medical Center, USA and Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad; Dr Susheel Kodali and Dr A. Sreenivas Kumar; treated over one hundred patients with TAVI, during the last four years. Even the tough covid times didn’t deter them and they successfully saved several critical patients and ensured a better quality of life.
Owing to increasing life expectancy, we are likely to see more and more patients with aortic stenosis and other degenerative valve conditions over the years to come. All these patients will immensely benefit from the patient friendly and minimally risky TAVI, says Dr Susheel Kodali. TAVI has revolutionized how we treat aortic stenosis, its increasingly gaining acceptance in India. Valvular patients really had no option to get treatment for aortic stenosis. TAVI not only extends life, but more importantly restores life, enables a better quality of life. Before, it would require open heart surgery, which wouldn’t have been suitable for elderly patients. TAVI is an alternate to surgery, the reason why it has become standard care for patients is it being less risky, its done with patients being awake, there are no major incisions, recovery is much faster, with many patients go back the next day.
TAVI is a minimally invasive percutaneous suture less technique, performed to replace the diseased aortic valve, also known as aortic stenosis, which happens due to narrowing of the valve. The Aortic valve connects the left ventricle – the blood pumping chamber at the bottom of the heart and the Aorta – the largest artery of the body which carries the oxygenated blood to the body. The narrowing of this valve happens over years of degeneration with aging and also by birth defect. Its malfunction will result in reverse flow of the blood. Aortic valve stenosis can also lead to heart failure ultimately.
Aortic valve replacement has been conventionally done by performing a surgery, which involves high risk for the patient, besides needing a prolonged bed rest for recovery. TAVI is patient friendly procedure with excellent results and the patient can recover within two days. Being a minimally invasive procedure, it is done through a small aperture in the groin, with administering of anaesthesia for a limited period. Besides the regular patients, this procedure is a big boon for those in advanced age, those with high risk of surgery and associated complications like lung or kidney disease. Such patients hitherto had to endure the suffering without a treatment and TAVI provides them solace.
However, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement procedure, needs high expertise. Only cardiologists trained and proficient in it with experienced medical and para-medical support and state-of-the-art technology, can produce good outcomes from TAVI, says Dr A. Sreenivas Kumar. Success of TAVI among patients speaks volumes about the procedure and that’s how it got established across the world as a standard procedure. TAVI is enabling sick and advanced age patients to recover and lead a normal life.