Woman gets three valves replaced through a four-inch cut

“Blood thinners are necessary since if a clot forms at any point of time, it can get stuck to the mechanical valves,” said senior interventional cardiologist at HCG Hospital Dr Jay Shah.

Complaining of fatigue, breathlessness and palpitation with an inability to sleep while lying down, echocardiography suggested severe mitral and aortic stenosis, that is narrowing of the mitral and aortic valve, along with organic tricuspid valve disease with severe tricuspid regurgitation, that is backflow of the blood from the valve, and severe pulmonary artery hypertension. Her malfunctioning valves had also caused her to lose a massive amount of weight.

Dr Shah said that while the usual procedure of replacing three heart valves involves cutting through the breastbone, the same was not feasible in the case of the patient owing to her being underweight and her age.

The Director of department of cardiac surgery at HCG Group of Hospitals, Dr Brajmohan Singh, said that usually minimally invasive procedures had been done in cases where two valves were replaced and the third valve repaired. But this was a unique case where the three valves were replaced through a minimally invasive procedure. Dr Singh added that the procedure was done under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme, permitting the patient to be treated free of cost for the surgery, which would have otherwise cost Rs 10 lakh.