The First Ever Core Valve Replacement in the World; Paper Presentation by Dr. Purshotam Lal.

By Dr. (Prof.) Purshotam Lal in Cardiology Interventional Cardiology

Aug 17, 2017

Paper Presentation by Dr. Purshotam Lal in CSI International Conference in Dubai on Structural Heart Diseases

Padma Vibhushan & Dr. B C Roy National Awardee, Dr. Purshotam Lal, Director – Interventional Cardiology, presented his case “The first ever Core Valve Replacement in the World” at CSI Dubai (April 20 – 22, 2017). This conference was attended by hundreds of cardiologists and other dignitaries from all over the world who are dealing with non-surgical treatment of structural heart diseases. The dignitaries included Dr. Thomas Bartel (Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, UAE), Dr. Horst Sievert (Frankfurt, Germany), Dr. Mark Turner (Bristol, England), Dr. Mario Carminati (Milan, Italy), Prof. Fadi Bitar (UAE), etc.

Conditions like Heart Valve diseases and congenital diseases like heart holes earlier required surgical interventions. Dr. Lal carried out extensive research to look for a possibility of treating such cases non-surgically.

Aortic Stenosis, in which the Aortic Valve gets narrowed, may become life-threatening if not treated in a timely manner. The only treatment which was possible earlier was open-heart surgery, which proved very difficult in elderly and high-risk patients; Aortic Stenosis is common in elderly patients.

In 1992, the Cardiology Society of India honoured Dr. Purshotam Lal by Dr. V V Shah Oration Gold Medal, where he presented animal studies showing the possibility of Aortic Valve Replacement without Surgery.

On July 12, 2004, Dr Purshotam Lal, along with his team, performed the first case of Aortic Valve Replacement with a CoreValve in the world. After that, more than 2 lakh cases have been performed worldwide. Unfortunately, the cost of the valve is very high; Dr. Lal is working hard to bring it down and make it affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CoreValve replacement?
CoreValve refers to a transcatheter aortic valve replacement technology designed to replace a diseased aortic valve using a catheter-based approach rather than conventional open-heart surgery.

What is aortic stenosis?
Aortic stenosis is narrowing of the aortic valve, which can restrict blood flow from the heart to the body.

What are common symptoms of severe aortic stenosis?
Symptoms may include breathlessness, chest discomfort, dizziness, fainting, fatigue and reduced ability to perform physical activities.

Is TAVR the same as open-heart valve replacement?
No. TAVR is a catheter-based valve replacement procedure, while surgical aortic valve replacement involves conventional cardiac surgery.

Can every patient with aortic stenosis undergo TAVR?
No. Treatment selection depends on the patient’s age, health status, valve anatomy, surgical risk and other clinical factors.

Why is early evaluation important?
Timely assessment can help determine the severity of valve disease and identify when medical monitoring or valve intervention may be appropriate.

Key Takeaway

Aortic stenosis is a serious heart valve condition, but advances in structural heart intervention have created less invasive treatment options for appropriately selected patients.

The evolution of CoreValve and transcatheter aortic valve replacement demonstrates how innovation in interventional cardiology has expanded treatment possibilities for patients with complex valve disease.

Patients experiencing unexplained breathlessness, chest discomfort, dizziness, fainting or reduced exercise tolerance should consult a cardiologist for appropriate evaluation.