Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery is no more a matter of Age. Rare Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi gives new lease of life to Mrs. Kamal Vadera, an 82-year old woman

Mrs. Kamal Vadera, an 82 year old woman from Delhi came to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi with a history of cardiac problem, hypothyroidism, hypertension and breast cancer. She suffered a breathlessness attack in October 2010 when she had gone to visit her daughter in Mumbai. At that time, evaluation revealed no cardiac problems and after a few weeks of rest she came back to Delhi. After 2 months she again suffered an attack of breathlessness and was taken to a local hospital in Delhi where she was diagnosed with a cardiac problem. Because of her age, the doctors at other hospitals in the city advised her not to go undergo a surgery as it involved a lot of risks including death.

“”My children were very tensed because of my condition and consulted many senior doctors in Delhi but in vain. Everybody had suggested me not to undergo an operation since it involved the risk of death. Then we consulted Dr B N Das at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals who told us about the new technique which could save my life,”” recalls Mrs. Kamal Vadera. She further explains, “”Dr Das gave me the strength to undertake the surgery and showed me the confidence that I could lead a normal life post the operation.””

The procedure is most commonly performed for a condition called aortic stenosis, where the valve fails to open properly. A multidisciplinary team of doctors led by Dr B N Das, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals carried out a successful Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery. In this case, the surgery was prone to risk because of the age of the patient and also because the patient was refused treatment at other hospitals, the doctors had to be extra careful.

“”Aortic valve replacement is a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient’s failing aortic valve is replaced with an alternate healthy valve. The aortic valve can be affected by a range of diseases; the valve can either become leaky (aortic insufficiency / regurgitation) or partially blocked (aortic stenosis). Aortic valve replacement is an open heart surgery and requires a lot of expertise especially in the case of older patients,”” explains Dr B N Das, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. He further adds, “”It is critical to note that not all patients experience symptoms prior to aortic valve replacement surgery. Patients can be asymptomatic — without symptoms — and still suffer from severe aortic valve disease. It is for this reason that patients diagnosed with aortic valve disease, or even a tiny murmur, should actively monitor the condition of their heart over time via regular echocardiograms.””

Mrs Kamal Vadera underwent a 2 hour long surgery on 13 April 2011 and is now leading a normal life. She feels that Dr B N Das had given her a new lease of life and is grateful to the entire staff at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals for instigating the confidence of living in her when she had lost all hopes.