55-year-old man undergoes aortic valve replacement

Source: The Hindu, Chennai edition, FRIDAY JULY 22, 2022

 A 55-year-old man, who had underdeveloped limbs and was born with a single kidney, underwent an aortic valve replacement surgery at MadrasMedical Mission (MMM).

Doctors decided against Transcatheter Aortic ValveImplantation (TAVI) considering the risks involved due to his multiple co-morbidities and opted for surgical replacement with a tissue valve. The patient has deformities in his left upper and lower limbs due to a condition called phocomelia, where the limbs are underdeveloped. This deformity was the side effect of the drug Thalidomide given for morning sickness during pregnancy in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born with a single kidney and has had episodes of pancreatitis for which stents were placed, a press release said.

He was diagnosed with a shriveled aortic valve and was having breathlessness. “We saw him in April this year. He had severe aortic stenosis. Traditionally, an aortic valve replacement surgery is done, while there is a new treatment – TAVI. TAVI is recommended for elderly persons.” AjitMullasari, director of Cardiology, MMM, told reporters on Thursday.

Vijit Cherian, director of Minimally invasive Cardiac Surgery and Heart Failure, MMM, said they took a calculated call and decided that surgery would be a good decision. “He has a single kidney. Dye is used in TAVI. The use of dye in a sick person has chances of injury to the kidney,” he said.

Doctors performed a surgical aortic valve replacement with the largest generation of tissue valve. His recovery was smooth and he was discharged from the hospital within a week.

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