In a major breakthrough for cardiac healthcare in India, doctors successfully performed the country’s first “heart shrink” surgery, a rare and complex procedure medically known as Partial Left Ventriculectomy (PLV) — often referred to as the Batista Procedure. This pioneering surgery was carried out at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, in April 1997, led by a team of cardiac surgeons headed by Dr. Naresh Trehan.
The heart shrink surgery involves surgically removing a portion of the enlarged and weakened left ventricle — the main pumping chamber of the heart — to reduce its size and improve pumping efficiency. This is typically used as a last-resort measure in patients with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes so enlarged that it fails to pump blood effectively.
The historic surgery was performed on a 32-year-old male patient suffering from severe heart failure, who had been unresponsive to conventional treatments. The PLV procedure helped reduce the size of his heart, restore a more normal shape, and significantly improved heart function.
Dr. Trehan, commenting on the procedure, said:
“This surgery is rarely attempted because of its high-risk nature. But in carefully selected cases, it offers a new lease of life. We’re proud to have introduced this life-saving option in India.”
- This surgery marked India’s entry into advanced heart failure surgery, previously only performed in a few centers worldwide.
- It showcased the increasing capabilities of Indian hospitals to conduct high-risk, high-tech cardiac procedures comparable to international standards.
While the Batista Procedure has since become rare globally due to the evolution of better treatments like heart transplants and ventricular assist devices (VADs), India’s first successful attempt in 1997 remains a landmark event in the history of cardiac surgery in the country.
