Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 22: A miracle was recorded when a 78-year-old patient walked into HVS Symbiosis Super-Speciality Hospital, barely able to breathe.
His heart was pumping at just 25% of its capacity, his coronary arteries were critically blocked, and his mitral valve leaked so badly that every heartbeat was a struggle.
For most hospitals, the only option would have been high-risk open-heart surgery. For HVS, it was the start of a medical first.
Rethinking the Impossible
“A patient like this is like balancing on a razor’s edge,” said Dr Ankur Phatarpekar.
“With such a weak heart, surgery itself could have triggered what we call afterload mismatch. Wherein, the heart collapses under sudden pressure changes. It’s a risk that often proves fatal.”
Instead of accepting the odds, the team designed a pioneering, two-step, minimally meddling plan, one that would give a shot at life.
First In-Human Trial: A Landmark Achievement
Through a pinhole in the wrist, Dr Meghav Shah, Dr Amit Gangwani, Dr Aniruddha Pawar, Dr Harshad Sagar, Dr Kunal Patankar, Dr Gourish Shinde, Dr Kedar Pote, and Dr Pravin Lovhale performed a complex coronary angioplasty, carefully placing stents in two major arteries.
“The response was immediate,” noted Dr Meghav Shah. “We observed a measurable reduction in valve leakage, a clear indicator that the intervention was working as intended.”
Yet the fight wasn’t over. After 48 hours in the ICU, tests confirmed the mitral valve still leaked severely.
Led by the closing of the Leaky Valve without Surgery
Then came the defining move: the MyCLIP TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair). Instead of opening the chest, doctors reached the mitral valve through a vein in the leg.
“Picture a door that won’t close,” explained Dr Gangwani. “MyCLIP works like a precision hinge, which is a tiny, fabric-covered clip that brings the flaps together so the valve shuts again.”
With expert guidance from Dr Gourish Shinde and Dr Pravin Lovhale, the procedure sealed the leak. “The magic is in teamwork,” added Dr Shinde. As aptly put by Dr Kedar Pote, “It takes a perfect sync of imagers and interventionists to make such cutting-edge repairs succeed.”
Transition of ICU Monitors to Normal Breathing:
It barely took time for the 78-year-old patient to be out of the ICU, breathing freely and resting without the bothersome fatigue that once defined his life.
“This isn’t just one success story,” emphasised Dr Harshad Sagar. “It’s proof of what’s possible when you refuse to accept limits.”
“Two of these procedures were part of India’s First-in-Human studies, underlining HVS’s role as a frontrunner in advanced cardiac innovation.” – Dr Aniruddha Pawar
It signifies the future of Cardiac Care:
“Once upon a time, a patient like this would have been considered inoperable,” reflected Dr. Kunal Patankar.
“Every heartbeat saved with MyCLIP is proof that the future is here.”
About HVE & HVS
HVS Symbiosis Super-Speciality Hospital is a flagship member of the Heart & Vascular Superspeciality Group and is supported by the multi-disciplinary Heart Valve Experts (HVE). With HVE’s specialised team driving innovation in valve and structural heart care, HVS is redefining treatment for high-risk patients once considered beyond options. Powered by advanced technology, a cutting-edge cath lab, and some of India’s foremost interventional cardiologists, the hospital embodies HVE’s mission: transforming complex heart challenges into stories of renewed life.
