Aortic stenosis can gradually affect the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently, causing symptoms such as breathlessness, chest discomfort, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance. For some patients, TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) may provide an alternative to conventional open-heart valve surgery. Dr. C. Raghu, a TAVI/TAVR doctor in Hyderabad and experienced cardiologist in Hyderabad , evaluates patients individually to determine whether transcatheter aortic valve replacement is appropriate for their condition. Key Takeaways TAVI is a minimally invasive valve replacement procedure commonly used for patients with significant aortic stenosis. Suitability depends on factors such as the severity of valve disease, symptoms, age, overall health, anatomy, and surgical risk. Unlike conventional open-heart surgery, TAVI generally does not require opening the chest. The procedure involves delivering a replacement valve through a catheter, often through an artery in the ...
Coronary angioplasty aka PCI is a common procedure with excellent success rates. The in-hospital mortality following PCI is 1-2% and in the setting of acute coronary syndrome is 3%. Additionally,1-2% of patients die after discharge within 30 days. Two recent retrospective database analyses from the states of New York and Michigan Blue shield studied mortality after PCI1,2. The New York database included 135,000 patients studying in-hospital and 30-day mortality while the Michigan database had 92,000 patients analysing in-hospital mortality. I present these papers with the learning points so that we can improve patient outcomes. The findings Both databases showed a 1.5% - 30-day mortality after PCI. 30% of these deaths are preventable. Most in-hospital deaths were non preventable (70%). They were attributed to pre-existing cardiac conditions such as cardiogenic shock, left ventricular failure, co-morbidities etc. Most of them are emergency and high-risk patients. 30% ...