A transcatheter technique was developed by a private hospital to treat an 83-year-old woman with severe mitral valve calcification through the right femoral vein in the groin, avoiding the need to open the chest.
A Kauvery Hospital release in Chennai said she had multiple comorbidities and recurrent hospital admissions due to heart failure caused by severe mitral valve dysfunction due to severe Mitral Annular Calcification (MAC), a condition where heavy calcium deposits build up around the mitral valve of the heart. The woman had previously undergone chest radiotherapy for treating cancer of the oesophagus and, later, underwent breast cancer surgery.
Rajaram Anantharaman, senior interventional cardiologist, said a replacement valve was modified with an external wrap and implanted in a slightly higher than usual position (atrialised implant) for proper anchoring, preventing any leaks around the valve, and preventing obstruction to the left ventricular outflow tract.
Published – October 07, 2025 12:09 am IST
