India’s First Sapien3 Tricuspid Implant performed at a hospital in Mumbai

It was a triumphant day for Prafulla Shah (63), as she got India’s first Sapien3 tricuspid valve transplanted non-surgically and left for home within 48 hours of the procedure. With an existing pacemaker and a previous open-heart surgery done for replacing the Tricuspid Valve with a Tissue valve, this was a valve-in-valve procedure making it further a very complex and rare procedure. The Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement or TTVR was performed by Dr Maulik Parekh, Head - of Structural Heart Programme along with an expert team of doctors at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.

The initial open heart surgery was first done in 2005 for the narrowing of the tricuspid valve. Post 15 years of the surgery, the patient started feeling breathless frequently. In the past six months, the patient’s condition deteriorated to the point where she was unable to walk more than a few steps. The old surgical valve had degenerated, making the patient breathless in just a few steps.

On this note, Dr Maulik Parekh, Head – TAVR and Structural Heart Programme, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital said, “Given the previously conducted open heart surgery, the pacemaker insertion and understanding the patients deteriorated critical condition with severe tricuspid regurgitation and narrowing, we recommended TTVR as the most effective treatment option for the patient as it is minimally invasive. The procedure is known to reduce hospitalization leading to better patient outcomes. With this treatment, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital becomes the first hospital in the western region to have replaced all four heart valves via Trans-catheter (non-surgical) technique. This is testament to our pioneering efforts in improving treatment techniques for safe and successful patient outcomes and advancing in the healthcare space.”

The TTVR procedure was life-saving for the patient as another open-heart procedure may have caused complications and even proved to be fatal. Post the TTVR surgery that took only an hour and a half to conclude, the patient had zero stitches and was discharged in 48 hours, being able to exercise and live an active lifestyle after 4 days. The treating team included Dr Bharat Dalvi, Dr Manoj Mashru, Dr Rohit Bunage, Dr Niranjan and Dr Darshana Rathod and the team.