A 75-year-old man from the Maldives has successfully undergone a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure at KIMSHEALTH, Thiruvananthapuram. The patient, who presented with severe breathlessness, was diagnosed with advanced aortic valve stenosis—a condition in which narrowing of the aortic valve restricts blood flow, increasing strain on the heart chambers.
Given his age and frailty, the medical team led by Dr. Shyam Sasidharan, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, opted for TAVI, a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. The valve was replaced via a catheter inserted through blood vessels, avoiding the need for large incisions.
The procedure was guided by advanced 3D-CT imaging technology, which reconstructs a 3D model of the heart from CT scans and overlays it on live fluoroscopic imaging in the cath lab.
“TAVI is considered an ideal option for elderly patients, those with respiratory illnesses, or those with reduced heart pumping function, who face higher risks from conventional open-heart surgery. The procedure requires only mild anaesthesia, causes minimal blood loss, and allows patients to resume normal life within a few days after discharge,” said Dr. Shyam Sasidharan.
The multidisciplinary treatment team included Dr. Ramesh Natarajan (Senior Consultant, Cardiology), Dr. Shaji Palangadan (Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery), Dr. S. Subhash (Consultant), and Dr. Hari Dev J J (Associate Consultant, Cardiac Anaesthesiology).