Dr. Ashok Seth Top TAVI Surgeon in India

What is TAVI Procedure?

TAVI stands for transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedure that allows an aortic valve to be implanted using a long narrow tube called a catheter. Usually, the catheter is inserted through a small incision in your chest.

To understand how the TAVI procedure works you should know what does aortic stenosis mean? It is a condition where the defect is in aortic valve that cannot open and close properly. This condition leads to an extra strain on your heart and can result in certain symptoms breathlessness, swollen ankles, chest pain, dizziness, and sometimes, blackouts. Usually for Aortic Valve Problems open heart valve surgery is performed but sometimes it’s very risky to be considered.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is now established as the treatment of choice for patients presenting with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) who are deemed inoperable or of high surgical risk. In spite of years of experience and continuous improvements in TAVI technology, patients treated using this cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedure are at a high-risk. And hence, a number of technical considerations such as the operating environment, mode of anesthesia, and site of vascular access and limitations of current devices should be taken into account when performing TAVI to optimize both procedural and nest clinical results.

Why is this Condition so Serious?

Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis is a very hazardous Heart problem because the valve that narrows down is a highly critical part of our Heart. This is because, this valve facilitates the harmonious blood flow, which is required to be pumped from the primary chamber of the Heart to the other parts of the body. However, the problems or symptoms become significantly noticeable, when this valve gets significantly narrowed. This condition can bring a lot of stress and a raised volume of burden on the Heart’s muscle.

Also, as we age, this valve gets hardened owing to the calcium deposits that accumulate with passing time. This condition can bring symptoms that can be highly discomforting and dangerous. Signs and symptoms such as:

• Severe discomfort in the chest region
• Breathing difficulties or shortness of breath
• Swelling in the leg
• Fatigue
• Light-headedness
• Syncope that is passing out spells, and if ignored can prove fatal as well

Amongst the causes, the most common cause behind the occurrence of this condition is age-related calcium deposits. Other causes include, congenital disorder like Rheumatic Fever, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, or an infected Heart valve.

What Should you Expect After TAVI?

After your TAVI procedure, the new valve is positioned to push aside your damaged aortic valve and the balloon is deflated and your doctor removes the balloon catheter. Your doctor will monitor you closely and according to your response to the surgery he will suggest a duration for you to stay in the hospital under the observation of specialists. In case if you show any symptoms other than what is usually expected, you may have to stay in the hospital a little longer than generally required.

A Pioneer in India for TAVI

We are living in a highly demanding ambience, which puts an extreme amount of pressure on our psyche and physical health. With so much to go through, it is obvious that our health gets affected. Our body goes through a lot while we are trying to go through this, our body suffers a lot. Furthermore, with such a hectic routine, our food and sleeping habits go haywire. On top of all this, we hardly get time to exercise, which is a major requisite to keep ourselves fit. Because of all this, our organs are badly affected; some of which can handle the damage for a longer time, while some degenerate rapidly.

This overall haywire routine can cause a serious amount of damage to one of the most vital organs, that is the Heart. In fact, Heart Diseases, Cardiac Diseases or Cardiovascular Diseases, as they are known popularly, are the leading reason behind the worldwide mortality and morbidity rate. Earlier, such diseases were mostly prevalent among the people belonging to the order generation. However, these days it is affecting the younger generation as well; more so because the younger generation’s lifestyle habits are not very considered to be very suitable for their Heart health.

As the number of such Heart patients keeps mushrooming, so does the field of Cardiology keep itself renovated accordingly. Over the years, healthcare services, infrastructure and surgical equipment associated with Cardiology has undergone radical mount of change. There are in fact exceptional surgeries that keep amazing with their surgical outcome. The Cardiac surgeries focus on making the patients as comfortable as possible. Furthermore, the rapid recovery, smaller incisions and many such advantageous factors help to take out the fear from of the minds of the patients. This is because Cardiac surgeries are generally assumed to be highly invasive in nature.

One of these Cardiac surgeries that is considered to a miraculous one, is called TAVI (Trans catheter Aortic Valve Replacement). It is sometimes also known as Trans catheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). This procedure requires extreme level of poise and talent along with exceptional surgical skills. There are many surgeons across the globe who are highly talented to handle this very intricate surgery. India in this matter is a highly blessed destination, as there is a large pool of talent available here; be it any field of healthcare. But specifically, the field of Cardiology is one of the most matured specialties that is offered by India. Not only because the infrastructure, but the surgical hands handling are these delicate procedures undeniably some of the best in the world.

How can TAVI be helpful as a Cure?

Medical science has undeniably come a long way; more specifically, Cardiac procedures have travelled a long way towards being Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery in India. According to Dr. Seth, who could have imagined a decade ago, that a damaged Heart Valve could be replaced without cutting open the patient. Now this is possible, not only the valve is replaced this way, but also while the patient is conscious during the procedure.

Dr. Seth introduced this extremely beneficial non-surgical procedure in India, in which he makes a small incision in the groin, then a Catheter is passed via this. Then the TAVI Valve is passed through this Catheter, up the groin till it reaches the Aorta, to the Heart. Since most of the patients were not in a condition to withstand the risks associated with anesthesia, this procedure proved enormously advantageous because this could be done under local anesthesia. Also, the time taken for the completion of this surgery is not even an hour.

Dr. Ashok Seth Best TAVR Surgeon in India

India can proudly claim to be the home to several acclaimed doctors and surgeons; especially, the cardiologist for TAVI India, have positioned themselves in a highly respectable position and have made a very strong mark all over the globe. One of these names is that of Dr. Ashok Seth.

At present, he is the Chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi and Head of the Cardiology Council of Fortis Group of Hospitals. He has contributed extensively to the field of Cardiology; specifically, in the matter of Interventional Cardiology, his efforts have been recognised, not only in India, but all over the globe. With a huge bunch of degrees and qualifications acquired from some of the most recognized institutes, he is undeniably one of the most knowledgeable stalwarts that has made this field blessed with his presence.

• MBBS from JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, India, 1978
• Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP), UK, 1984
• Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP), Ireland, 1986
• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP), Ireland, Edinburgh, London, 1995
• (FACC), 1995
• Fellow of the Society of Cardiac Angiography & Intervention (FSCAI), USA, 1995
• Doctor of Science (D. Sc) Honoris Causa, Banaras Hindu University, India, 1998
• Fellow of the International Medical Sciences Academy (FIMSA), 1998
• (FCSI), 2011
• (D. Sc) Honoris Causa, Amity University, Noida (UP), India, 2012
• Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) Honoris Causa, Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi, India, 2012
• Doctor of Science (D. Sc) Honoris Causa, Teerthankar Mahaveer University, Moradabad, India, 2012
• FESC, 2013

His association with Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Delhi has enhanced the functioning and success rates of the Department of Cardiology here. This department handles a wide spectrum of Heart issues with the help of different forms of Cardiac surgeries – ranging from the simplest to the most advanced and intricate ones.

With more than 40 years of extensive experience, he has achieved authority over procedures like:

• Several Angioplasty techniques
• Angioscopy
• Directional Atherectomy
• Stents
• Drug Eluting Stents
• Thrombectomy devices
• Use of Impella Heart support device for failing Heart
• Bio absorbable Stents

Apart from these, one of the newest and most progressive cardiac surgeries that he is highly conversant in is TAVI. He has implemented it successfully both in India as well as in other regions in Asia Pacific.

Dr. Ashok Seth strongly believes and emphasizes Affordable Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve in India to address a very grave Cardiac condition, which is known as Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis. In this medical condition, the Heart’s Aortic Valve narrows down.

Dr. Seth’s focus is on ‘Healthy Heart – Healthy India’

According to Dr. Seth, one in twelve individuals, above the age of 40, is a patient of Coronary Heart Disease. He feels that more doctors are needed to curb this continually rising issue to reach out to more and more such patients. Cardiac surgeons in India are focused to enhance the availability of Cardiac treatment and surgery services to as many people as they can and hence total cost of aortic valve replacement in India is very cost effective. Appropriate prevention measures, meticulous diagnosis and dedicated research are some of the steps that can definitely help in controlling the prevalence of Heart ailments.

Furthermore, according to him, the prevention aspect is very critical, when it comes to Cardiac disorders. Unfortunately, people need to be more aware about this aspect, however, despite the fact these disorders are increasingly becoming rampant, and not everyone is able to access the high-priced Cardiac procedures. Dr. Seth puts in a lot of effort to work to better this scenario. In fact, he has also planned low cost TAVI IN India, so that the underprivileged patients have more chances to get cured.