Pioneering 'Batman Procedure' Offers New Hope to High-Risk Heart Patients

VMPL
New Delhi [India], August 8: Doctors at Rajasthan Hospital Limited (RHL), Jaipur have successfully performed India's first electrosurgical valve-in-valve mitral procedure, informally called the "Batman Procedure", giving a 74-year-old woman from Srinagar a new lease on life.
Fatima Bano, who had previously undergone open-heart surgery to replace two valves, was once again facing heart failure. Medical investigations revealed her mitral valve was failing, but her advanced age and health condition made her too high-risk for another conventional open-heart surgery, according to specialists at Srinagar and AIIMS, New Delhi. With her condition worsening and traditional surgery deemed too risky, her family turned to Dr. Ravinder Singh Rao, Chairman, RHL Heart Centre & Head - TAVI Program.
Dr. Rao and his team performed the complex procedure using an advanced electrosurgical technique. Using a minimally invasive catheter-based approach, Dr. Rao's team employed precision electrosurgical tools, including a fine electrified wire, to precisely open part of the malfunctioning mitral valve and implant a new one, all without opening the chest. This complex but swift procedure, rarely attempted in such high-risk patients, enabled Fatima to walk within days and return home to her routine life shortly after.
"This case proves that even elderly, high-risk patients can receive transformative treatment with the right tools and expertise," said Dr. Rao.
This case represents a significant milestone in India's cardiovascular care landscape: the nation's first electrosurgical valve-in-valve intervention for a failed mitral valve in a previously operated patient. The procedure demonstrates the possibility of safely treating complex heart valve disease in elderly, high-risk patients once deemed inoperable.
Heart valve disease remains a major but underdiagnosed health challenge among India's elderly population, particularly women. This breakthrough highlights the transformative potential of cutting-edge cardiac care for those with limited treatment options.
P.S: The name of the patient has been changed to protect their privacy
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