Lucknow, Jul 13 (IANS): Doctors at a private hospital gave a new lease of life to a farmer by replacing his damaged aortic valve (one of the four heart valves) with a one constructed from his pericardium, a fibrous sac that encloses the heart and great vessels – using Ozaki technique.

Rajman, a resident of Balrampur, was brought to the hospital with breathlessness and chest pain.

Doctors found that his aortic valve was severely leaking, a condition known as aortic regurgitation, said Vinay Sharma, CEO of Tender Palm Hospital.

The standard treatment options included valve replacement with either a metallic valve, which necessitates lifelong anticoagulation therapy, or a biological valve from pig or cow pericardium, which is expensive and less durable, he added.

After thorough consultations, Ozaki repair technique was used to fashion a new aortic valve using patient’s pericardium and putting it in place of malfunctioning valve, he said.

Doctors claimed that the surgery was first-of-its-kind in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand and only a few similar procedures have been conducted in South India and Delhi.