Jaipur doctors perform new technique TMVR for the first time on heart patient

Doctors at a city hospital used an advance technique of valve replacement, for the first time in Rajasthan and give a new lease of life to a patient. The said patient was not in a condition to undergo repeat open heart surgery for the replacement of prior operated mitral valve. 

The doctors used Transcathetral Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) technique in which the valve is accessed from a tiny hole made near the thigh. Till now, repeat open heart surgery was the only method to replace prior operated mitral valve. It comes as boon for patients who are unable to tolerate the traumatic repeat open heart surgery.

“Kamla Jain, the patient, was an aged, feeble and weak lady who would not have been able to withstand a major surgery,” said Dr Ravinder Singh Rao, Director TAVR Programme, Interventional Cardiology at Eternal Hospital. “She had lost a lot of weight in the past one year, would always feel tired and spent and was not able to walk. So we decided to do a TMVR,” he added.

The mitral valve is one of the heart valves that prevent mixing oxygenated and deoxygenated blood and routinely patients undergo open heart surgery to replace mitral valve. 

The mitral valve, after 8-15 years, becomes degenerative and stops working therefore it requires repeat open heart surgery. It is a complex valve to deal with.

“With cardiologist Dr Samin Sharma, our team used TMVR for the first time in Rajasthan. With this success, a new vista of hope has opened for patients,” said Dr Rao.