Best Doctors in India for Aortic Valve Repair / Replacement
- Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon; Chennai, India
- Over 45 years’ experience
- Apollo Hospitals Greams Road
Profile Highlights:
- Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Girinath M R is a senior cardio-thoracic Surgeon in Chennai having experience of more than 45 years in Cardiac Surgery.
- Dr. M R Girinath was a fellow of Coronary Artery Surgery and Congenital Heart Surgery at the University of Wisconsin, USA.
- He provides consultation and diagnostic services for Mitral/Heart Valve Replacement, Cardiac Pacing, Invasive Cardiology, ABPM, Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty, CT Angiography, etc.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon; Chennai, India
- Over 37 years’ experience
- Apollo Hospitals Greams Road
Profile Highlights:
- LF Sridhar is a well-known Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon in Chennai, now working at Apollo Hospital in Greams Road, Chennai, and has an experience of 37 years in this arena.
- Some of the services available with the doctor are Mitral/Heart Valve Replacement, Cardiac Pacing, and Intra – Arterial Thrombolysis, Pacemaker Implantation, and bypass surgery besides the regular OPD procedures.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
- Apollo Hospitals Greams Road
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. K Madhan Kumar is a well-known Cardiac Surgeon in Tamil Nadu, having many years of experience in the domain.
- His experience came from practice and teaching. These days, he is associated with Apollo Hospital Greams Road in Chennai as a Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic & Transplant Surgeon.
- Dr. Kumar has also completed Fellowships in Cardiothoracic Surgery at SGH in London as well as ECMO, VAD, and transplantation at HH in London.
- Top Cardio Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 37+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Bhaba Nanda Das is a distinguished Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon with over 37 years of experience, currently practicing at Apollo Hospitals Indraprastha in New Delhi.
- Holding advanced degrees in MBBS, MS, and MCh, Dr. Das is renowned for his expertise in managing a broad spectrum of cardiothoracic and vascular conditions.
- His clinical proficiency spans the treatment of complex issues such as Aortic Valve Disease, Atrial Fibrillation, Coronary Artery Disease, and Myocarditis.
- Top Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Vascular Surgeon | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 42+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Anoop K Ganjoo is one of the best cardiologists & cardiothoracic surgeons in India with a total experience of 42 years.
- Dr. Ganjoo has a rich experience of over two decades in several complicated procedures, like Mitral valve repair and replacement, Peripheral and Coronary angiography & angioplasty, vascular surgery, ICD, diffuse coronary artery disease, Pacemaker, Radiofrequency ablation of arrhythmias, adult Cardiothoracic Surgery, CRT implantation, Balloon valvuloplasty, and PDA device closure.
- Top Interventional Cardiologist | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 26+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Rajeev Kumar Rajput is one of the best Cardiologists in India with nearly 23 years of experience. He is a clinical cardiologist engaged in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases.
- Dr. Rajput is currently working as a senior consultant with Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, and also offers patient care at the Heart & Gynae Clinic.
- Dr. Rajeev Kumar Rajput specializes in Angiography and Interventional Cardiology. The treatments provided involve Neonatal and Infant cardiac surgeries, Device Closure, and Valve replacement. He has expertise in Aortic Aneurysm Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Percutaneous Coronary Interventions, Endovascular Repair, Cardiac Catheterisation, Open Heart Surgery, and MV replacement.
- Dr. Rajput is credited with publishing several papers in noted medical journals.
- Top Cardiac Surgeon | Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India
- 37+ Years Experience
- Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. S K Sinha currently serves as the Senior Director of CTVS at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, a role he has held since April 2018.
- With over 37 years of dedicated experience in cardiac surgery, Dr. Subhash Kumar Sinha is a distinguished leader in the field of Cardiac Sciences.
- ducationally, Dr. Sinha’s credentials are impressive. He earned his MBBS from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, followed by a Masters of Surgery from Patna Medical College and an M.Ch. in CTVS from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.
- Senior Cardiothoracic and Heart Lung Transplant Surgeon, New Delhi, India
- Over 23 years’ experience
- PSRI Hospital
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Rahul Chandola is a renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon in India specializing in Adult CTVS along with heart and lung transplant surgeries.
- He is an expert heart and lung transplant surgeon and has performed over 100 heart transplant surgeries with successful results in both adult and pediatric patients.
- Currently, he works as a Senior Cardiothoracic and Heart Lung Transplant Surgeon in PSRI Hospital, New Delhi.
- Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Hyderabad, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
- CARE Hospitals Hyderabad
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. G Rama Subramanyam is a well-known cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon who specializes in open-heart surgery and has performed more than 5000 such procedures since 1997.
- He is also an expert in Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and heart valve surgeries that includes over 200 Ischemic mitral valve repair surgeries and 100 myxomatous and Rheumatic mitral valve repair surgeries.
- Cardiac Surgeon, Noida, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
- Jaypee Hospital, Noida
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Manoj Luthra is a highly experienced and renowned Cardiac surgeon who has 30+ years of experience and performed the first heart transplantation surgery in the Indian Armed Forces.
- Till date, Dr. Manoj Luthra has performed more than 12,000 cardiac surgeries including 8000 heart bypass surgeries. He has also performed many heart transplants and aneurysm surgeries.
Best Hospitals in India for Aortic Valve Repair and Replacement
Aortic Valve Replacement
Purpose
There are several types of valve diseases for which aortic valve replacement might be considered. Some of them include:
Aortic valve regurgitation- This condition is known to occur when your blood flows backward through your aortic valve into the left ventricle each time the ventricle relaxes. Normally, blood is supposed to flow in one-way direction from the ventricle to the aorta. A dysfunctional or a leaky valve can lead to the backflow. This may be due to the valve deteriorating, an abnormal valve shape present at birth or due to an infection.
Aortic valve stenosis- The stenosis can lead an aortic valve to become narrowed or obstructed, which can make it even more difficult for the heart to pump blood into the aorta. This may be caused by multiple factors, such as congenital heart disease, thickening of the valve’s closure flaps or post-inflammatory changes, such as those which are associated with rheumatic heart disease.
Congenital heart disease- This can contribute to either aortic valve regurgitation or stenosis. It can also result in other problems that can prevent the proper functioning of the aortic valve. For example, a person might be born with an aortic valve not having enough tissue flaps or there may not be an opening in the valve to allow normal blood flow. The valve can also be of the wrong shape of size.
For some people who are having mild aortic valve disease without any symptoms, careful monitoring under an experienced doctor’s supervision might be all that is required.
However, in many cases aortic valve disease and dysfunction can worsen over time despite medical treatment. Most aortic valve conditions are mechanical problems that are not treatable with medications alone. Such conditions can eventually require surgery for reducing symptoms.
Your doctor and healthcare team will decide whether to go for repair or replacing the heart valve. It can depend on various factors, such as the severity of your aortic valve disease, your age and overall health or whether you require any heart surgery for any additional heart problem.
Preparation
Before you undergo the surgery for having your aortic valve repaired or replaced, your doctor and treatment team will be explaining what you can expect before, during and after your surgery as well as the potential risks the surgery may cause.
You need to discuss with your doctor and the treatment team any questions you might have about your procedure.
Before you are admitted to the hospital for your surgery, talk to your caregivers about your hospital stay and discuss any help you may require when you return home.
Also remember to talk to your doctor about when you can resume taking your medications regularly and whether you will be able to take them before your surgery. Also, ask whether you should stop eating or drinking the night before the surgery. You may also need to bring several items to the hospital including a list of your medications, eyeglasses, hearing aids, etc.
Procedure
For the aortic valve replacement procedure, you will be receiving anesthetics so that you will not be feeling any pain. You will be unconscious during the procedure.
You will be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, which will keep your blood moving through your body during the procedure.
First, your doctor will be removing the aortic valve and replacing it with a mechanical valve or a valve made from a pig, cow or human heart tissue (valve).
Often biological tissue valves eventually need replacement as they degenerate over time. If you have a mechanical valve, you will require blood-thinning medications for the rest of your life for preventing blood clots. Doctors will be discussing with you the risks as well as the benefits of each type of valve and discuss which valve is appropriate for you.
The surgery can be performed through traditional open-heart surgery or minimally invasive methods. It involves smaller incisions than those used in open-heart surgery. There is another type of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement which is known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
However, minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is generally less common since not all situations are best addressed by this method of access to the damaged valve. Results similar to those with traditional open-heart surgery can be achieved if it is performed by experienced surgeons.
After the procedure
If you had open-heart surgery, you will generally require spending a day or more in the ICU. You will receive oxygen, fluids, medications as well as nutrition through the intensive care unit. Other tubes will be draining urine from your bladder, draining fluid and blood from your chest.
Later you’ll be moved to a regular hospital room where you will need to spend some days. The amount of time you will spend in the ICU and hospital may vary depending on your condition and procedure.
During your stay at the hospital, your treatment team will be watching for signs of infection in your incision sites. They will also be checking your blood pressure, breathing and heart rate periodically. If you experience pain after the surgery, they will be working with you in managing it.
Your doctor might also advise you to avoid driving a car or lifting anything more than 10 pounds for a few weeks.
Risks
There are certain risks associated with aortic valve replacement. The type of procedure and the expertise of your health care team also plays a role.
Although most people do well during this surgery, it might lead to a few problems, which include:
- Bleeding after surgery
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Heart rhythm getting thrown off for a while
- Kidney problems that can last for multiple days after surgery
- Stroke
- New valve not functioning or wearing out over time
Although rare death can also occur in a few cases. To minimize risk it is recommended that the surgery is performed by an experienced team of qualified doctors.
Aortic Valve Replacement & Aortic Valve Repair
Aortic valve repair and aortic valve replacement are procedures that treat diseases affecting the aortic valve. Types of Aortic Valve Surgery are:
- An annuloplasty is a procedure to tighten or reinforce the ring around a valve in the heart.
- A valvuloplasty, also known as balloon valvuloplasty or balloon valvotomy, is a procedure to repair a heart valve that has a narrowed opening.
Open Heart surgery versus Catheter method of Heart Replacement
Traditionally, all valve replacement procedures required a open-heart surgery. However, recent advances in catheter methods have resulted in the development of catheter- based (non-surgical) heart valve replacement procedures.
The Catheter based approach to Valve Repair is generally recommended in case of Valve Stenosis (condition in which the valve narrows down).The procedure is called Transaortic Valve Implantation/ Replacement (TAVI/TAVR) for Aortic Valve Repair. In case of Mitral Valve Repair, it is called Transaortic Mirtral Valve Implantation/ Replacement (TMVI/R).
TAVI / TMVI is the first line of treatment in cases of Valve narrowing /stenosis.
The advantage of TAVI/TMVR is that in this procedure, the valve is replaced with no scar (unlike surgery) and recovery time is minimal.
However, in cases of Valve Regurgiation (leakage), surgery is still required / recommended.