KIMS Bhubaneswar Performs High-Risk Heart Valve Surgery on 90-Year-Old, Patient Recovers Successfully
Bhubaneswar, June 19: A 90-year-old man from Kendrapara, considered an extremely high-risk candidate for heart surgery because of his advanced age and severely weakened heart function, has successfully undergone a life-saving Aortic Valve Replacement (AVR) at KIMS Bhubaneswar.
The complex procedure, performed by the cardiac surgery team led by Dr. Amit Agarwal, is a major achievement for KIMS in its efforts to offer advanced cardiac treatment to patients who are often considered unsuitable for surgery.
Krushnachandra Behera, the patient, was suffering from severe aortic stenosis — a critical narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve — along with significant left ventricular dysfunction. He had been experiencing progressive breathlessness, reduced exercise tolerance and symptoms of heart failure, severely affecting his daily life.
Doctors said the combination of advanced age and poor heart function placed him in a very high-risk category, with significantly high chances of surgical mortality and postoperative complications. Performing open-heart valve replacement in a nonagenarian with a weakened heart is considered one of the most challenging situations in cardiac surgery.
Despite these odds, the KIMS team successfully carried out the valve replacement surgery. The patient recovered steadily after the operation and is expected to experience improved heart function, relief from symptoms and a significantly better quality of life.
According to the treating team, the successful outcome underscores the advances made in modern cardiac surgery, anaesthesia, critical care and multidisciplinary patient management, enabling complex procedures to be performed safely even in carefully selected elderly patients.
The successful surgery demonstrates KIMS commitment to delivering advanced cardiac care. It also offers hope to elderly patients and their families who may otherwise believe that age rules out life-saving surgical intervention.
