Kauvery Hospital treats complex aortic valve disease using HANCHOR technology

Iyappan Ponnuswamy, Medical Director, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, Clive Fernandes, Director of Medical Services, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, Mahesh Kumar K., Medical Superintendent, Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet, Rajaram Ananthraman, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, along with the cardiology team. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet, Chennai, has treated a 63-year-old man with severe leakage in his aortic valve using a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the hospital said at a press conference. The patient had a hole in one of the leaflets of his aortic valve and had previously undergone mitral valve replacement.Aortic regurgitation occurs when the aortic valve does not close properly, allowing blood to flow backwards into the heart. Treating this condition through a catheter-based procedure can be challenging because the valve may not have enough calcium deposits to help secure the replacement valve. The patient’s previous mitral valve replacement added to the complexity.The HANCHOR valve has a frame that expands with a balloon and a special anchoring mechanism made of nitinol, a flexible metal alloy. This mechanism is designed to hold the replacement valve securely in place by gripping the existing valve leaflets.The hospital said checks after the procedure showed no remaining leakage through or around the replacement valve and no abnormal narrowing. No significant problems with the heart’s electrical signals were reported. The patient was discharged three days later.Rajaram Anantharaman, senior consultant interventional cardiologist said the valve’s anchoring mechanism helped address the challenges of positioning the replacement valve in this case.Asik Ali, senior consultant and clinical lead, Cardiac Imaging Radiology; Mahesh Kumar K., medical superintendent; and Kamal Kanth, consultant cardiologist, were also present at the press conference. Published - October 30, 2026 12:41 am IST