National Heart Centre’s TAVI service attracts patients

With the Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre launching the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) services, the number of people visiting abroad for the service has fallen.

The service was not available at home until the Centre launched it. Centre director Dr Chandramani Adhikari said so far they have provided the service to six patients. The Hams Hospital also reported one case of successful valve replacement.

The first implantation case which was a success encouraged other patients to seek the service within the country. The center recorded the case of valve implantation first ever in the country in last February-March.

It costs Rs 2.5-3.8 million for aortic valve replacement in Nepal while it is Rs 6-8 million in India.

The Centre is preparing to replace the valve on one patient within this year.

As he said, a couple of patients would visit India for the services in a month, but at present patients prefer to visit the Centre instead of India.

Approximately 12 patients went to neighbouring India annually for fitting artificial heart valve. The figure has reduced to a patient after the center started fitting artificial heart valve, he said. An artificial heart valve is fitted when aortic stenosis occurs due to various reasons. The patient can feel relief soon as the artificial valve works immediately. The patient can faint and report chest pain and dizziness when aortic valve shrinks.

The artificial valve replacement on elderly people is risky due to complication, he said.

The center brings artificial heart valves from foreign countries including India and Netherlands.