UP's Tender Palm Hospital performs state's first non-surgical pulmonary valve replacement

In a groundbreaking medical feat, Tender Palm Super Speciality Hospital in Uttar Pradesh has successfully performed the state’s first non-surgical pulmonary valve replacement, marking a significant advancement in cardiac care.

The Interventional Cardiology Department at the hospital completed the procedure using a catheter-based technique in just 30 minutes, eliminating the need for traditional open-heart surgery.

Dr. Gautam Swaroop, Director of Cardiology at Tender Palm, explained that the patient, a 35-year-old man, was suffering from a congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). “In this condition, there are holes between the two chambers of the heart, and the pulmonary valve—which supplies blood to the lungs—becomes narrowed,” he said.

The patient had undergone open-heart surgery 15 years ago to correct the defect, during which the holes were closed and the pulmonary valve was replaced. Over time, however, the replaced valve began to degenerate and narrow again, causing symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath.

When advised against a second open-heart surgery due to high risk, the patient began exploring alternative treatments. He later approached specialists at Tender Palm Super Speciality Hospital in search of a less invasive option.

“After reviewing the patient’s surgical history,” Dr. Swaroop said, “we decided to opt for a non-surgical valve replacement. This modern procedure is known as TPVR/TPVI (Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement/Implantation).”

The innovative technique avoids general anesthesia and surgical incisions. Instead, a catheter is inserted through the leg veins. “The old valve was fractured using a balloon, and a new pulmonary valve was implanted within it—a process called ‘valve-in-

valve’ (TPVI),” he added.

The minimally invasive procedure was completed in just half an hour, and the patient was discharged the following day.

The medical team that carried out the successful operation included Dr. Gautam Swaroop, Dr. Mohit Mohan Singh, Dr. Adesh Kumar Singh, and Dr. Krishna Kumar Sahani.