Apollo Recovery Clinic, Hyderabad saved an octogenarian COVID survivor with severe heart disease by performing TAVR procedure.

The team of Cardiologists at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad led by Dr. A. Sreenivas Kumar, Director, Cardiology & Clinical Research has performed a critical cardiac procedure – Trans Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) on an 83-year-old COVID survivor male patient from West Godavari District. The patient was suffering from Hypertension, Mild Coronary Artery Disease, COPD, severe Degenerative Aortic Valve Disease, severe Aortic Stenosis and Mild Aortic Regurgitation. Despite recovering from COVID he developed lung fibrosis, leading to worsening of breathlessness, palpitations and extreme fatigue. He was rushed to the Hospital considering his deteriorating condition due to pre-existing severe Aortic valve disease coupled with the Post-COVID difficulties.

Patient was evaluated with HR CT Chest for COVID manifestations, stabilised and once COVID PCR became negative he was evaluated by CT Angio with TAVR Protocol. A detailed clinical and Echocardiogram evaluation that followed strongly indicated TAVR as the treatment option. His Coronary Angiogram revealed mild CAD which can be managed medically. After explaining the pros and cons regarding TAVR, patient was admitted on 25th November and TAVR procedure was done successfully. The post procedure hemodynamic revealed no gradient across Aortic valve and echo done showed good valve position with no AR. His Femoral puncture site was closed with Perclose – proglide systems, patient was ambulatory by night and was discharged the next day morning. This is the first patient in the twin Telugu states to undergo this procedure post COVID recovery, even in the Country no data was available on this being performed earlier.

This performing of a TAVR procedure on an octogenarian COVID recovered patient is a milestone. It sends a strong message to patients with pre-existing cardiac disease and recovered from COVID, that there is no need to postpone seeking medical care for critical ailments. The expertise and facilities available at Apollo Hospitals, can help patients recover from serious ailments and lead a normal and active life, says Dr. A. Sreenivas Kumar.

COVID survivors are developing myriad health problems, it could be simple ailments like fatigue, body aches, joint pains, lack of concentration to more severe and long-term health complications with one or other body organs being compromised. The problems could be lung fibrosis, severe lung scarring with lung losing its elasticity and ability to pump oxygen needing lung transplantation, Ischemic Heart Disease, strokes due to clot in the brain, kidney complications and more, as studies unravel newer insights about the disease. Most such patients were devoid of any of these health issues prior to COVID and some of them have already developed irreversible conditions, impacting them for lifetime. This phenomenon is across the age and gender groups and this patient too became a victim of Post- COVID health complications.