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Made In India Heart Valve Technology Can Keep Your Heart Beating Strong!
Sarah*, a French woman was 83, when she had been advised that she had only a few hours to live. However, she decided to opt for a unique, cutting-edge procedure that could grant her a fresh lease of life. Within a year of the procedure, she traveled to America to achieve her dream of addressing a large gathering at a prestigious conference. Now, at age of 90, she continues to live an active and normal life.
What threatened her life, and which procedure saved her? Sarah had a medical condition called Aortic Valve Stenosis (AS). The valve in her heart, which ensures normal blood-flow from the heart to the body, had narrowed with advancing age. This made it extremely difficult for her to carry out simple daily activities. She often felt out of breath. There was a tightness in her chest, frequently accompanied by pain. She felt dizzy even with brief movements. In short, living had become a struggle.
Medication did not provide any significant relief. The other available treatment was an open heart surgery for valve replacement. But that was an extremely risky option due to her age, the complex nature of the surgery, the long hospital stay, and high chance of complications post-surgery, especially during the recovery period of 10-12 months. Given these risks, surgical teams in Paris had refused to perform a surgical valve replacement.
At this point, Sarah consulted Dr. Alain Cribier, Professor emeritus at the Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Charles Nicolle in Rouen (France). Dr. Cribier suggested that she consider the option of an innovative non-surgical procedure called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
The procedure entailed a small cut in the groin or chest area to pass a catheter tube to replace the diseased valve with a bioprosthetic valve. There would be no need to cut open the chest cavity nor any need for general anesthesia as is usually required for surgery. The TAVR procedure would be performed over 30-40 minutes, and her recovery would be swift, requiring hospital stay of only 3 to 5 days.
Dr. Alain Cribier, who has established TAVR therapy worldwide shares, “In the 17 years since I performed the first TAVR procedure in 2002, more than 350,000 patients in 65 countries have undergone this revolutionary procedure. In the beginning, when the technology was new, TAVR was recommended only to high-risk patients who couldn’t undergo open heart surgery. However, advances in technology and availability of long-term safety data have resulted in TAVR becoming a routine and preferred procedure today. It can now be applied in a very high number of patients. In the year 2018, 68,000 TAVR procedures were performed in USA and 18,000 in France. In the hospital where I practice, we are conducting 5-10 procedures a week.”
However, the Indian scenario is quite different, as the procedure has not reached many patients who can benefit from it. Approximately 300,000 severe AS patients cannot undergo open-heart surgery because of old age, frailty, or other medical reasons. [1] TAVR therapy can be life saving for these patients. Yet, less than 1,000 TAVR procedures are being performed on an annual basis in India. Many lives can be saved if awareness of this promising procedure is raised.
Meril Life Sciences, a Gujarat-based medical device manufacturer with a global footprint spread over 150 countries, is committed to bring about this change. Known for indigenous research and development, and a broad portfolio of stents, surgical and orthopedic devices, this company has recently launched an advanced bioprosthetic valve. The new valve has a unique ‘hybrid honeycomb’ design that allows doctors to precisely place the device at its natural position. This reduces the need for a new pacemaker, otherwise required in 10 to 30 percent of patients receiving other available valve technologies.
Results of the MyVal-1 scientific study , published in the Euro Intervention Journal, prove the benefits of this valve technology. There was high device success, low incidence of stroke, and low requirement of a permanent pacemaker implant post-procedure. Significant improvement in patient heart function and quality of life was also observed. After CE approval of this valve technology, hospitals in Europe have commenced using the valve due to these benefits.
“Companies like Meril Life Sciences are helping bring the benefits of non-surgical TAVR therapy to more patients by training Interventional Cardiologists in India. They have also made this cutting-edge treatment more accessible and more affordable to Indian patients,” sums up Dr. Alain Cribier.
As these efforts come to fruition, many more Indian patients will have the chance to live life to their heart’s content, just as Sarah did.
Source : The times of India
