MitraClip
New Delhi/NCR, November 29th, 2018: For the first time in India, a team of doctors led by Dr Ashok Seth, supported by Professor Saibal Kar of Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, successfully performed the catheter based procedure of MitraClip to repair a leaking heart valve without surgery in a 69-years old gentleman who was suffering from repeated heart failure and in whom open heart surgery was not possible. The patient had previous bypass surgery 13-years ago and more recently his heart was getting enlarged due to a severely leaking valve leading to breathlessness and heart failure. Till now, open heart surgery with repair or replacement of the valve had been the only possible treatment for such patients in India but it is often high risk and may not be beneficial. Similar, was the case in this patient and so he underwent the MitraClip procedure successfully.
Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute said, “The MitraClip is a novel catheter based non-surgical repair of the mitral valve inside the heart and is performed in the Cath Lab like angioplasty. Special catheters are inserted through the large vein in the groin and the catheter is passed from the right chamber of the heart to the left chamber of the heart by puncturing the partition called interatrial septum. Then under echocardiography and X-ray guidance a clip is put on the leaking mitral valve to decrease the leak which improves the condition of patient. The patient is normally ready to be discharged in 24-48 hours’ time.”