In a first, complex surgery carried out at NIMS

Hyderabad: For the first time in the history of Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and in Hyderabad, a rare and complex Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) procedure was performed on a 56-year-old patient suffering from severe mitral stenosis. The condition occurs when there is narrowing of the mitral valve that restricts blood flow in the heart's left chamber.

In the patient this happened due to mitral annular calcification (MAC). The patient, who also suffers from hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) requiring maintenance hemodialysis, was deemed high-risk for a conventional surgical mitral valve replacement. Faced with this challenge, the expert cardiology team at NIMS sought alternative, cutting-edge treatment options.

Under the leadership of Dr B Srinivas, professor and head of the department of cardiology and his team, the patient underwent a TMVR procedure on Nov 19. TMVR is a state-of-the-art, minimally invasive procedure that replaces a diseased mitral valve without the need for open-heart surgery. Instead, the new valve is implanted via a blood vessel in the leg, ensuring a faster and safer recovery.

"Performing TMVR in a patient with mitral annular calcification, where excess calcium deposits significantly complicate the process, is exceedingly rare and has only been successfully attempted a handful of times globally. The team also employed the LAMPOON procedure—an advanced technique designed to prevent obstruction to blood flow post-implantation by cutting a portion of the native valve," NIMS said in a statement.

The patient was walking within two days. By day four, he was discharged from the hospital. Other members of the surgical team included comprising Dr Manikrishna, Dr Abhinay Reddy, and Dr K Anurag.