The SIMS team planned and executed the procedure, managing the risks to ensure the patient’s safety while restoring normal heart function. The patient is now recovering.
Published Oct 08, 2025 | 6:31 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2025 | 6:31 AM
A team led by Dr VV Bashi and Dr Mohammed Idhrees conducted the five-hour surgery.
Synopsis: SIMS said the 28-year-old patient was diagnosed with a rare combination of two serious heart issues, a porcelain aorta and aortic valve stenosis. Two hospitals in Kerala deferred the surgery due to the risks involved.
An engineering student from Kerala, suffering from a combination of porcelain (calcified) aorta and aortic valve block, got a fresh lease of life after doctors at the SIMS Hospital in Chennai conducted a successful surgery on him.
The combination of porcelain aorta and aortic valve block was rare and often life-threatening.
In a media release, SIMS said the 28-year-old patient had experienced severe breathing difficulty for two months and consulted multiple hospitals. He was diagnosed with a rare combination of two serious heart issues, a porcelain aorta (a severely hardened and fragile main artery) and aortic valve stenosis (a narrowing of the valve that controls blood flow from the heart).
Due to the complexity and high risk involved, local hospitals advised against surgery. The man then travelled to the Aortic Aneurysm Centre at SIMS, where a team of expert heart surgeons took on the challenge.
The surgical team performed a mechanical aortic valve replacement, navigating the extraordinary challenge of suturing the heavily calcified aorta.
The complex surgery, lasting over five hours, was performed by Dr VV Bashi, Director & Senior Consultant, Institute of Cardiac & Advanced Aortic Diseases, and Dr Mohammed Idhrees, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, with the support of anesthetists Dr Aju Jacob, Senior Consultant, Cardiac Anaesthesia, and Dr Arun Kumar A, Consultant, Anaesthesia, and a team of nurses and perfusionists.
‘‘This was a highly complex case because of the dual risk posed by a stenotic aortic valve and a porcelain aorta, both of which are extremely rare in young people,” Dr Bashi said. “Our team meticulously planned and executed the procedure, carefully managing the risks to ensure the patient’s safety while restoring normal heart function.’’
Dr Idhrees said two hospitals in Kerala deferred the surgery because of the challenges and the risk involved. “The patient is now recovering well and is expected to lead a normal life with appropriate post-operative care,’’ he added.
SIMS claimed that the complex surgery was performed for the first time in South India.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
