Bengaluru, August 19, 2025 — A multidisciplinary team at Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru saved the life of a 72-year-old woman with a dangerous aortic aneurysm by performing a valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The patient had a prior surgical valve and a life-threatening false lumen in the aorta. Surgeons deployed a 23 mm Navitor Vision transcatheter valve through the femoral artery, completed the procedure in about 3.5 hours, and discharged the patient on day five.
Why this matters
India continues to face a heavy burden of cardiovascular disease. Global health agencies note that CVDs are the leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 17.9 million deaths annually—many from heart attacks and strokes. Techniques like TAVI reduce surgical trauma, shorten hospital stay, and open treatment options for frail or high-risk patients. World Health Organization
Inside the case
According to Apollo, Dr. Gautam Naik led the valve team, with Dr. Niranjan Hiremath overseeing vascular access. The team chose a valve-in-valve strategy to treat degeneration of the earlier surgical valve while preserving the aorta from open-chest stress. They advanced the device via the groin, positioned it within the failing valve, and restored forward blood flow immediately. The hospital reported no major complications and stable post-procedure parameters.
What is TAVI and when is it used?
TAVI/TAVR replaces a narrowed aortic valve without open-heart surgery. In suitable patients—especially those at intermediate to high surgical risk—it can match or outperform surgery on recovery time and functional improvement, when performed in experienced centres with heart-team decision-making. (For background on TAVR performance and safety trends, see contemporary registry data from professional societies.) World Heart Federation
The device edge
Navitor Vision is a latest-generation self-expanding system designed to minimise leak and protect coronary blood flow. Features include an active sealing cuff and improved deliverability in calcified anatomy—useful in redo cases like valve-in-valve. Device choice remains clinical and patient-specific; availability and operator experience also guide outcomes. CardioSmart
Expert view
Interventional cardiologists say the case highlights how planning, imaging, and vascular expertise now allow complex redo valves to be treated percutaneously. As more Indians live longer with prior heart surgery, demand for redo-valve solutions is rising. However, experts also call for robust post-market surveillance, centre accreditation, and transparent outcomes reporting to maintain safety as volumes grow.
The larger picture
With CVD care expanding beyond metros, policy attention must focus on affordability, catheter-lab capacity, and skilling. Bundled procurement, indigenous device production, and better coverage under public and private insurance can broaden access. Meanwhile, hospitals should continue heart-team evaluations so that patients receive the right procedure—TAVI or surgery—at the right centre.
