Mangaluru: One of Mangaluru’s premier healthcare provider, Indiana Hospital and Heart Institute Ltd., performed first Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Replacement/Implantation (TAVI/TAVR), a new technologically advanced procedure in cardiology, in Coastal Karnataka. A press statement from the hospital described it as ‘another milestone in the hospital’s meritorious journey’.
The successful procedure was performed on an elderly patient hailing from Madikeri District, last week. The procedure was led by Dr. Yusuf Kumble, the Chief Interventional Cardiologist and managing director of Indiana Hospital, along with the hospital’s cardiology team.
The press statement added that patient was now hale and hearty and was ready to be discharged.
Speaking to media reporters, Dr. Yusuf Kumble said “TAVI has revolutionized the way elderly heart patients are treated the world over. It has not been more than two years since the procedure was adopted by some of the leading hospital in India. And we at Indiana, keeping with pace with the emerging technologies in the healthcare sector, were the first to carry out this procedure in Coastal Karnataka, showing the way for others in the region to follow suit.
The patient was reportedly advised open heart surgery by another hospital before he consulted cardio team at Indiana Hospital for a second opinion. When the procedure TAVI was explained to the patient and the members of his family, they agreed to it taking into account the patient’s fear of open surgery and the high risks involved in it. “Indiana’s Heart Team then took up the challenge and successfully implanted the new valve through TAVI” the press statement added.
“Conventionally, an open heart surgery is performed for replacing the aortic valve for treating aortic stenosis. But a majority of the elderly patients are not fit enough to undergo an open heart surgery. This is where TAVI becomes a boon to such patients, as in this minimally-invasive procedure, the damaged valve is replaced by a new 26mm valve through a keyhole procedure using a catheter as is done for angiogram. The valve remains folded during insertion and opens up when warm blood flows through it. The procedure takes about two hours and the patient is taken out of the ICU in six hours” Dr. Yusuf explained.
Elaborating further, Dr. Yusuf said, “Another advantage is that if after ten years the replaced valves degenerates, it can be replaced with a new valve. By incorporating this new technology, it has once again been confirmed that Indiana Hospital is in the vanguard in the field of cardiology and interventional procedures. Though for the time being the cost is a bit prohibitive, we expect it to come down as it is an evolving technology. I appeal to the government of India to waive or reduce considerably the high GST levied on TAVI procedure so that the society in general benefits” Dr. Yusuf said.
Patient Samuel Daniel, Dr. Shuaib Kade, COO, Indiana Hospital and other members of the cardio team were present during the press conference at the hospital on Friday afternoon.



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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.
The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.
Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.
"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."
When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."
"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.
The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.
Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"
Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."
"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.
Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.
"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.
