A landmark achievement in Indian structural heart care was recorded with the successful treatment of a high-risk patient with advanced valvular heart disease by Dr. Dilip Kumar, using MyCLIP, an indigenous transcatheter edge-to-edge repair system developed by Meril Life, at Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass, Kolkata. The case involved Mr. Ramswaroop, a 60-year-old gentleman who presented with a complex cardiac profile including dilated cardiomyopathy with a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction-LVEF 25%, severe mitral regurgitation, severe tricuspid regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension, along with minor coronary artery disease, and hypertension. Conventional open-heart surgery was not considered a safe option due to his critical condition and high surgical risk.
MyCLIP is a Made-in-India Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (MTEER) therapy by Meril Life Sciences, which helped enable the treatment of the patient. Successfully performed first MyCLIP MTEER procedure in Eastern India. This case also presents a national first-a first time in India when a tricuspid valve was successfully treated using the MyCLIP system, designed and manufactured fully in India. A minimally invasive procedure was done through femoral venous access without opening the chest, using the MyCLIP (LW-12/6) device to reduce severe mitral regurgitation to a trivial grade with improved overall valve function.
Before the intervention, the patient presented with difficulty breathing when engaging in minimal activity, excessive fatigue, difficulty lying flat because of shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, and pressure in the chest, which greatly affected his functionality. After the medical procedure, he presented with rapid recovery since he could breathe easily, sleep properly, have minimal pain, and be in a stable health state before being discharged.
Commenting on this successful procedure, Dr. Dilip Kumar added, “This case highlights increasing indications for transcatheter valve repair in patients in whom surgery is prohibitively high risk. The fact that this technology, which is being developed and produced in India, provides a safe and effective way of dealing with complex valvular diseases is an indication of not only the maturity of this technology but increasing expertise in structural work in this country.”
MyCLIP, developed by Meril Life Sciences, is the first-ever Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair solution in India and is meant for patients with severe mitral regurgitation. The device helps in closing the mitral valves and thus prevents reverse blood flow in the mitral valves. This product is very important for patients in old age or patients who are inoperable and can be a boost to their life in terms of functionality.
This milestone showcase how innovation developed in India, combined with medical excellence, is leading to increased access to advanced and life-changing cardiac therapies in patients with complex structural heart diseases.
