Polymer mitral valve implant conducted at Delhi hospital

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) A 54-year-old man in Delhi received a polymer-based mitral heart valve implant earlier this month, making him among the first in the country to receive this new treatment for valve damage.

The surgery was performed at New Delhi’s Fortis Escorts Heart Institute by a team led by senior cardiac surgeon, Dr ZS Meharwal, the hospital said in a statement on Wednesday.

The hospital claimed that this was the first polymer-based mitral heart valve implant in the country.

The patient will be under observation for the next three to four months before the valve is offered to other patients, it added.

The new TRIA Mitral Valve is the world’s first heart valve made from a specially engineered polymer material. It has been developed in the United States and is being manufactured in India.

Dr Meharwal said that the cost of the procedure is around Rs 3.5 to 4 lakh.

Until now, patients needing valve replacement had only two choices — tissue valves, which tend to wear out quickly in younger people and often require repeat surgeries, and mechanical valves, which last longer but need lifelong blood-thinning medicines to prevent clotting.

The new polymer valve is considered the third category of valve, designed to last longer while eliminating the need for daily medicines.

This new technology is expected to benefit younger patients and women in particular, as it reduces the risks linked with pregnancy and lifestyle restrictions caused by traditional options, he added.

According to the statement, India has one of the world’s highest burdens of rheumatic heart disease, affecting more than 40 million people. PTI NSM APL NSM APL SKY SKY