Durdans Heart Centre Proudly Celebrates 5 Years of Pioneering Successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantations (TAVI) in awake patients, without open surgeries.
Durdans Heart Centre, over the past 5 years, has achieved a significant milestone by performing the biggest continued series of successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures in Sri Lanka, while establishing itself as the premier institute in Sri Lanka for effectively performing advanced cardiac procedures using state-of-the-art technology.
The aortic valve is the most vital component of the hearts blood pumping mechanism into the entire body and its failure causes chaos in all the vital organs. Factors such as age-related wear and tear, infections or defects from birth can cause the aortic valve to narrow, restricting blood flow which deprives the rest of the body of oxygen and cause multi organ failure and untimely death.
Open heart surgery used to be the only option for valve replacement in the past, but every year, many patients who need an aortic valve replacement, are deemed to be of high risk, will be turned down for open-heart surgery and eventually end up with prolonged heart failure or sudden death. A ray of hope shines through the innovative procedure known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), which can be performed in high risk patients, under local anesthesia while patients remain awake.
At the forefront of this transformative procedure stands none other than Dr. Pandula Athauda-arachchi, a trailblazing consultant interventional cardiologist whose expertise and achievements have earned him international acclaim.
Dr Pandula Athauda-arachchi, a true pioneer in the field of cardiology and a prominent figure renowned for his proficiency in performing highly successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Procedures (TAVI) is trained in the United Kingdom, coupled with his experience at the prestigious Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and also in Switzerland, and Hungary, has equipped him with an arsenal of knowledge and skills while his medical excellence led him to become the first-ever international proctor produced from Sri Lanka, overseeing TAVI procedures in various countries worldwide. In addition to many cases in Sri Lanka, Dr. Pandula has now performed over 5 successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures to complex and high risk patients in countries like Indonesia and the Philippines.
Dr Pandula Athauda-arachchi performed the very first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) at the Durdans Heart Centre in 2018. Despite the numerous difficulties encountered by the country due to the pandemic and foreign exchange limitations, Dr. Pandula has conducted over 13 highly successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures at the Durdans Heart Centre. Remarkably, a majority of these patients were previously deemed unsuitable for conventional procedures because of their advanced age (many aged over 80’s) , fraility, previous stroke, lung disease, previous heart surgery, kidney failure or other challenging conditions. However, under the skilled care of Dr. Pandula and the cutting-edge facilities and technology at Durdans Heart Centre they have now discovered a newfound sense of optimism and positivity, keeping outcomes par with data from many other centers of excellence in the world.
With the leadership of Dr. Pandula, Durdans Heart Centre achieved significant milestones in the field of heart valve procedures. It became the first centre in Sri Lanka to successfully perform both types of TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) – the balloon-expandable and self-expandable methods. Additionally, Durdans Heart Centre performed Sri Lanka’s first Bicuspid aortic valve TAVI procedure and successfully performed Sri Lanka’s first TAVI in previous open heart surgical operation failure and kidney failure patients and achieved the first TAVI in the oldest recorded patient at 85 years of age. Conversely, Durdans Heart Centre also performed TAVI in the youngest patient, aged 60. Furthermore, Durdans Heart Centre accomplished another exceptional feat by performing a combined TAVI and Left main coronary intervention in a single setting. Our commitment to excellence drives us to continuously enhance our benchmarks and standards.
Durdans Heart Centre takes great pride in having Dr Pandula Athauda-arachchi leading the way in delivering top-tier services and exceptional care to our esteemed patients, ensuring successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantations all within our facility. With this advanced procedure available under our roof, patients no longer need to seek treatment abroad in Singapore or India, as they can now undergo the procedure right here in Sri Lanka, knowing that the procedure will be done by an internationally renowned specialist who overseas procedures in other countries too. Moreover, the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantations (TAVI) procedure was successfully performed on citizens of the United Kingdom and from the Maldives who have come to Sri Lanka to receive treatment in Sri Lanka.
In 2018, The first all local anesthetic TAVI valve procedure was performed on Mr. Indrasena, an 82-year-old patient, and has since proven to be a resounding success, as he celebrates five years of healthy and vibrant living post-surgery.
“I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to be under the care of Dr. Pandula and the exceptional team at Durdans Heart Centre. From the initial consultation to the post-operative follow-ups, every step of the process was marked by their dedication to my well-being and their commitment to delivering the best possible outcome. I am now feeling better than ever, and I owe it all to the remarkable care I received at Durdans Heart Centre”
