Heart disease is a double-edged sword for older people. The risk of severe heart disease increases significantly as you get older and may require open-heart surgery. However, there is a catch. Open-heart surgery involves literally cutting through the skin to perform surgery on the heart, which is physically taxing and often carries higher risks for older people.

In the elderly group, 33 of 628 patients died within 30 days of treatment, for an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 6.4%, according to the study published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The study also found that the average length of stay after surgery for surviving patients aged 70 and older was 11.6 days, compared with 8.5 days for patients younger than 70. But the most shocking finding was that the average hospitalization cost for patients over 70 was 114% of the average hospitalization cost for younger patients.

These are some of the reasons why older generations try to avoid heart surgery as much as possible. Although the above study was conducted almost 20 years ago, and medical practice and technology have evolved much since then, the risks of open heart surgery still exist.

So how can we care for our elders and their hearts? One solution is an emerging technology called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). In an interview with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr. Anup Taksande, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, said, “This minimally invasive and highly effective treatment option helps avoid open-heart surgery and provides It brings new hope to elderly patients suffering from this disease.” To dispel doubts about TAVR, Dr. Taksande shared his recent case of a 72-year-old woman who underwent TAVR surgery and saved her life.

What is the TAVR procedure?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a nonsurgical procedure performed in a cath lab that has been proven to be minimally invasive and reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality. “The surgery is performed under light anesthesia and does not require sutures in the groin,” Dr. Taksande said.

Calling this an innovative approach, Dr. Taksande said, “Older adults are offered the opportunity to receive life-saving treatment without having to endure the rigors of traditional open-heart surgery.”

In a new study published in the journal Cureus, researchers found that long-term survival rates after undergoing TAVR were as high as 73.5%. About the hope that TAVR offers Dr. Taksande talks about Heera Mishra, a 72-year-old woman who was considered a high-risk patient due to her history of severe comorbidities, two strokes, a weak heart, and two angioplasties. I picked it up. , a procedure to open her clogged coronary artery.

Also read: Case study: TAVR heart surgery saves the lives of two 85-year-old patients.Learn more

fight against heart disease

Heera Mishra’s life took a turn when she suffered a massive heart attack and underwent two angioplasties in 2010 and 2014. Her health struggles continued as she was then diagnosed with a stroke in 2018 and again in 2021. Her condition worsened further. She developed progressive narrowing in her heart’s aortic valve, one of the four chambers of her heart, last year.

Mr. Mishra was diagnosed with severe calcified aortic stenosis, which narrows the aortic valve and causes the following symptoms:

• dizzy
• waterfall
• chest discomfort
• severe shortness of breath
• Low blood pressure

Dr. Taksande said, “This condition is more common in people over 65 years of age, who also have comorbidities such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Approximately 0.5 of the population over 65 years of age also suffer from comorbidities such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). % to 1% have calcified aortic stenosis. In severe cases, it can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death.”

“Upon arrival, the patient was in critical condition. We focused primarily on her aortic valve, which was narrowing. Her tests showed that the valve was not fully open, preventing blood from entering the body. We found that the flow was blocked,” he added.

Also read: True story: 95-year-old Allwyn Almeida undergoes TAVR treatment after recovering from COVID-19

The true story of TAVR success

Heera Mishra has a new lease on life after doctors performed TAVR surgery on her for her valve disease, saving her from open heart surgery and avoiding sudden cardiac arrest.

According to the American Heart Association, here’s what happens during a TAVR procedure.

• Preparation: The patient is prepared by administering anesthesia, usually general anesthesia or conscious sedation.
• access: A small incision is often made in the groin to access the blood vessels.
• guidance: Using advanced imaging techniques such as fluoroscopy and echocardiography, a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is passed through the blood vessels to the heart.
• Valve placement: Once the catheter reaches the heart, a replacement valve (often made of biomaterial) is delivered to the site of the diseased valve.
• expansion: The new valve expands into place and displaces the old diseased valve.
• Functional check: The function of the new valve is evaluated to ensure proper position and function, and imaging techniques are often used to confirm proper blood flow.
• closure: After confirming the success of the procedure, the catheter is removed and the incision site is closed.

Dr. Taksande said of the surgery: “The operation lasted 30 minutes and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit for one day and made to walk after 12 hours of surgery. She was transferred to the ward for one day and then discharged in stable condition on January 2. .The patient came in for follow-up after 10 days. She was asymptomatic and had no further complaints such as dizziness or shortness of breath.”

Also read: True story of a valve infection: A 23-year-old develops blurred vision and undergoes open-heart surgery.

At the conclusion of Mishra’s case, his son Sujith Mishra expressed his gratitude to the doctors and the TAVR surgery. “My mother has a history of stroke and cardiac arrest, and now has aortic stenosis, so this was a real shock to us. It’s a new start for me. I’m grateful to the doctors who saved my mother’s life.”