95-Year-Old Woman Receives Life-Changing Heart Valve Without Surgery

A 95-year-old woman in Kazakhstan has undergone a groundbreaking heart procedure without the need for open-chest surgery or stopping her heart. The operation took place at Almaty's Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital, where doctors successfully replaced her aortic valve using a minimally invasive technique. Born in 1931, the patient is now recovering after the high-tech intervention. The woman suffered from aortic stenosis, a severe and common heart condition in older adults. Instead of traditional surgery, a team of specialists chose a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This advanced method involves threading a new valve through a catheter inserted via the femoral artery, avoiding the risks of open-heart procedures.

Vascular surgeon Arman Sadykov confirmed the operation went smoothly. The patient's family later expressed their thanks to the medical staff for their expertise and care. While exact national figures for TAVR procedures in Kazakhstan remain limited, estimates suggest around 200–300 such surgeries have been performed over the past five years. Most take place at leading centres like the National Research Cardiac Surgery Center in Astana and the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Cardiac Surgery in Almaty. The successful procedure marks another milestone for minimally invasive heart treatments in Kazakhstan. TAVR continues to offer a safer alternative for elderly patients who may not withstand traditional surgery. The woman's recovery will be closely monitored as she returns home after the intervention.