CHENNAI: When a 74-year-old man walked into the hospital complaining of shortness of breath , doctors found that his aortic valve was constricted. It obstructed blood flow from the heart to the aorta and to the rest of his body.The only cure was a surgery to have the valve replaced, but his age was the highest risk factor. Tirchy based Sayeed Rasol also did not want an open surgery .Apollo Hospitals interventional cardiologist Dr G Senguttuvelu decided to replace the damaged valve in a minimally invasive procedure called trans catheter aortic valve replacement using one of the latest prosthetics -Sapien 3 TAVR Like in an angioplasty , doctors reach the heart through a small puncture in a blood vessel near the groin.The valve is compressed and placed at the end of a tube-like device called balloon catheter. It is then inserted through the femoral artery in the leg.The catheter is pushed through the blood vessels until it reaches the diseased aortic valve. The valve is expanded by the balloon and it anchors the diseased valve. The new valve opens and closes properly helping blood flow.The procedure reduces the need for long-term use of pacemakers. Dr Senguttuvelu said within a few hours of the surgery Rasol was breathing easy. The valve costs Rs 18 lakh, but the doctors believe that with more people opting for it, the cost could come down.

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