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A 52-year-old man recently underwent a rare, life-saving procedure at SL Raheja Hospital in Mumbai. Diagnosed with cardiac failure and mitral regurgitation, Shridhar Penta became the youngest patient in the state to undergo the MitraClip procedure, aimed at addressing heart leakage and restoring normal functioning.
The MitraClip procedure, a minimally invasive approach, involves placing a clip in the mitral valve to correct the backward flow of blood into the lungs. Such procedures are uncommon in India, particularly for patients under 60 years of age.
Typically, this procedure has been performed in private hospitals, with costs ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. Dr Harish Mehta, who performed the procedure at Raheja and previously at Hinduja Hospital and Wockhardt Hospital, explained the high costs associated with the clip, as there is only one manufacturer in the country. “There is only one company in the country that manufactures that clip, the price of that itself can be about Rs 25 lakh,” noted Dr Mehta.
Babita Penta, the headmistress of a school in Mumbai, still remembers the exact date when her husband’s heart stopped for a brief period. “Our life changed on January 23rd, we were going to bed after dinner he started burping. It continued for some time and we took refuge in home remedies as there was no other complaint.” As Penta’s health deteriorated further he was rushed to the hospital, the family was told that he had suffered a second heart attack in 48 hours. Penta was unaware of the first attack.
“Looking at the ECG, the doctor said it is very critical and there was a blockage. So we went ahead with angioplasty, which took four hours.” Soon after the procedure, Penta lost his heartbeat and had to be revived. He came back to life only to have suffered a shock to his vocal chord, as a result of which he had lost his voice. The family faced significant financial challenges due to the cost of the MitraClip procedure. Despite having limited mediclaim coverage, they explored various avenues, including crowdfunding and seeking assistance from temple trusts and relatives, to secure the necessary funds.
Dr Mehta emphasised that while surgery is a more cost-effective approach, the MitraClip procedure can be life-saving for high-risk patients. By placing a clip on the mitral valve, the procedure helps rectify the leakage caused by the heart’s dilation and valve separation. “Normally valves are closer but as the heart gets bigger, the valves get pulled apart,” Dr Mehta said.
