Kauvery Hospital Treats Complex Aortic Valve Leakage Using HANCHOR Technology
Chennai: Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet, Chennai, has treated a 63-year-old man with severe aortic valve leakage using a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure with the specialised HANCHOR valve.
The patient had Pure Native Aortic Regurgitation (PNAR) caused by a perforation in an aortic valve leaflet. His previous mitral valve replacement added to the complexity of the procedure. According to the hospital, this was the first reported use of the HANCHOR valve for TAVR in a patient with this combination of clinical factors.
Aortic regurgitation occurs when the aortic valve fails to close properly, allowing blood to flow backwards into the heart. Treating the condition through a catheter-based procedure can be challenging because the lack of calcium deposits in the native valve makes it difficult to secure a replacement valve.
The HANCHOR valve features a balloon-expandable frame and a nitinol anchoring mechanism designed to stabilise the replacement valve by engaging the native valve leaflets.
Following the procedure, doctors reported no residual aortic regurgitation, valve narrowing or leakage around the implanted valve. No significant abnormality in the heart’s electrical conduction was reported, and the patient was discharged after three days.
Dr. Rajaram Ananantharaman, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Kauvery Hospital, said the specialised anchoring mechanism helped address the challenges of positioning the replacement valve. He highlighted the importance of individualised treatment planning in complex structural heart conditions.
Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said the procedure reflected the role of specialised medical technology and clinical assessment in treating complex cardiac conditions.
