Heart Valve Treatment Without Open-Heart Surgery in Ahmedabad — TAVI & BMV at Apollo CVHF
Using advanced catheter-based technology, Dr. Kulin Sheth treats two of the most common valve conditions — aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve stenosis — without opening the chest, without stopping the heart, and without a lengthy hospital stay. These procedures are performed at Apollo CVHF Heart Institute, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad.
TAVI — Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
TAVI (also called TAVR — Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) is a procedure used to replace a severely narrowed aortic valve — a condition called aortic stenosis — without open-heart surgery.
The aortic valve controls blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. When it becomes severely narrowed, the heart has to work much harder to pump blood through the restricted opening. This causes progressive symptoms — breathlessness, chest pain, dizziness, and fainting — and, if left untreated, carries a very poor prognosis.
How Is TAVI Performed?
- During TAVI, a new replacement valve is compressed onto a catheter and delivered through the femoral artery in the groin — without any incision in the chest. Under X-ray and echocardiographic guidance, the new valve is positioned precisely within the diseased native valve and expanded, immediately restoring normal blood flow. The diseased valve leaflets are pushed aside and the new valve takes over.
Who Is TAVI For?
- Patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high or intermediate surgical risk — where open valve replacement surgery carries a significant risk of complications
- Elderly patients — typically above 70 to 75 years — for whom TAVI offers excellent outcomes with a much lower procedural burden than surgery
- Patients who have previously undergone surgical aortic valve replacement whose bioprosthetic valve has degenerated — a procedure called 'valve-in-valve' TAVI
- Selected younger, lower-risk patients — based on shared decision-making and a detailed Heart Team discussion
What to Expect
BMV — Balloon Mitral Valvotomy
In mitral stenosis, the mitral valve leaflets become thickened, fused at their edges, and progressively narrowed — restricting blood flow from the upper left chamber (left atrium) to the lower left chamber (left ventricle). This causes breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, and, in advanced cases, severe pulmonary hypertension and heart failure.
How Is BMV Performed?
During BMV, a catheter is guided through the femoral vein in the groin, across the interatrial septum (the wall between the two upper chambers), to the mitral valve. A specially designed balloon is then inflated within the narrowed valve, separating the fused leaflets and widening the valve opening — immediately improving blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle.
Who Is BMV For?
- Patients with significant symptomatic mitral stenosis — breathlessness, reduced exercise tolerance, palpitations
- Patients with suitable valve anatomy on echocardiography — pliable, non-calcified leaflets with no significant mitral regurgitation
- Patients who are pregnant and developing haemodynamic compromise from mitral stenosis — BMV can be performed safely during pregnancy
- Younger patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, in whom BMV offers an effective treatment that delays or avoids the need for valve replacement surgery
What to Expect
Location — Where Are TAVI and BMV Performed?
Apollo CVHF Heart Institute
- +91 7096 800 800
- Pakwan Cross Road, Sarkhej - Gandhinagar Hwy, opp. GNFC Tower, next to l.O.C petrol pump, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380059
- Angiography, Angioplasty, Pacemakers & Devices (ICD, CRT-D), Structural Heart Procedures (ASD/VSD/PDA Closure, TAVI), Complex Coronary Work (LMCA, Bifurcations, IVL, Rotablation)
- Open 24 hours
Dr. Kulin Sheth's Approach
Dr. Sheth is known for a calm, thorough, and patient-centred consultation style. He takes time to listen, never rushes through an appointment, and explains findings clearly so that patients leave with a genuine understanding of their heart health and what needs to be done — if anything.
Patients also appreciate that Dr. Sheth only recommends investigations that are genuinely needed. There are no unnecessary tests, no unnecessary procedures, and no unnecessary alarm.