Doctors at Medanta – The Medicity, India’s leading multi-speciality hospital, treated Praveen Kumari, a 79-year-old, frail woman suffering from recurrent, refractory heart failure over a period of time. The patient, under the care of Dr. Rajneesh Kapoor, Chairman, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Care, Medanta, Gurugram had been admitted almost monthly despite being on all possible guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMT). She was ultimately treated successfully with a non-surgical, catheter-based valve clipping procedure.
Praveen Kumari, weighing less than 45 kgs and progressively frail, had been dependent on frequent hospital admissions. Despite every available medical therapy, her condition worsened over time. Investigations revealed that her heart pumping efficiency was critically low, with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) only 20–25%. She also suffered from severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR), which meant both her left and right-sided valves were leaking significantly, adding to the complexity of her heart failure. Given her advanced age, comorbidities, and frailty, the Heart Team concluded that surgery was not an option for her.
At this stage, Dr. Kapoor and his team considered a catheter-based valve repair strategy.
Dr. Rajneesh Kapoor, Chairman, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Care, Medanta, Gurugram said, “This was a unique case as both the mitral and tricuspid valves had severe leakage. Surgery was not an option. We therefore planned a non-surgical repair using mitral MitraClip and tricuspid clipping to reduce the leakages, improve heart function, and control recurrent heart failure. The procedure was meticulously planned and executed, resulting in a significant reduction of valve leakages.
The impact on the patient’s health was immediate and dramatic. For the past three to four months following the procedure, she has had no hospital admissions for heart failure—a stark contrast to her earlier pattern of almost monthly admissions. Her energy levels have improved, and she has regained stability in her daily life. Commenting on the same, Dr. Kapoor said, “Non-surgical transcatheter valve repair is a lifeline for patients who cannot undergo open-heart surgery. Not only do they survive, but they begin to thrive once again.”
He further added, " Heart failure affects about 1–3 percent of the global population, with older adults representing the majority of cases. In India, current estimates suggest that there are between 1.3 and 4.6 million people living with heart failure.[1]
This case also underscores the need to focus on geriatric heart conditions with greater urgency. As populations age, elderly patients often face the dual challenge of frailty and complex heart disease, making them unsuitable for conventional surgeries. Non-surgical structural heart interventions offer them a new chance at survival and an improved quality of life. Equal attention, awareness, and compassionate care are critical to ensure that elderly
hearts are not neglected and that innovative, minimally invasive therapies are used to extend both life and dignity."
Expressing their gratitude, the patient’s family said, “We are thankful to Dr. Rajneesh Kapoor and the entire Medanta team for giving our mother, a new lease of life. She had been struggling with recurrent hospitalizations, but now she is stable and living with far more comfort. This procedure has given us hope and confidence for her future.”
This success further consolidates Medanta’s position as a leader in advanced cardiac care, particularly in the management of complex, high-risk patients. With multidisciplinary expertise and cutting-edge non-surgical solutions, Medanta continues to provide hope to patients and families facing life-threatening cardiac conditions.