Science Park awaits approval to make surgical valves

Chennai: The country has seen merely over a 100 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) surgeries in the past ten years.

Its cost of over Rs 20 lakh has been seen as a burden for many who cannot afford it. With this in mind, the Mediville Science Park in Elavur Village, Gummidipoondi, which is part of the Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai, is awaiting further approval before it can make the TAVR valves — which are usually imported from Western countries — for commercialisation.     

“The TAVR valves being produced there would not only help reduce the cost of the entire transplantation but also create job opportunities for the locals of Elavur village,” said Dr. K. M. Cherian, Chairman and CEO, Frontier Lifeline Hospital.
“The commercialisation of TAVR valves can help reduce the cost of surgeries in the SAARC nations, Asian countries and pan-African countries,” he added.

“The TAVR was performed under local anaesthesia with local sedation, as the risk factor of general anaesthesia is more for elderly patients. The patient in this case was mobilised within two days,” said Dr. R. Anantharaman, the senior consultant cardiologist who performed the surgery.

“The country has seen only around 112 similar surgeries in the past 10 years, whereas about two million people undergo this surgery in Europe and the United States and therefore, the need for it to be made in India is highly essential,” he added.