In a first in Indian subcontinent, dog undergoes non-invasive heart surgery at Delhi vet hospital

The condition is caused by degenerative changes in mitral valve leaflets which result in back flow of blood.

A dog with a complex heart condition successfully underwent a minimally invasive heart surgery at a hospital here with veterinarians claiming it to be the first such procedure to be carried out by private practitioners in the Indian subcontinent.

Seven-year-old beagle, Juliet, was suffering from Mitral valve disease for the last two years, Dr. Bhanu Dev Sharma, an interventional cardiologist for small animals at Max PetZ Hospital in East of Kailash said on Sunday.

The condition is caused by degenerative changes in mitral valve leaflets which result in back flow of blood within the left upper chamber of the heart and subsequent congestive heart failure (fluid build-up in lungs) as the disease progresses.

The surgeons performed a Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER) procedure using a valve clamp on May 30.

"It's called hybrid surgery as it's a combination of a micro surgery and interventional procedure. The best part about this procedure is that its minimally invasive as it's a beating heart procedure and not like an open heart surgery which needs a heart lung bypass machine," Dr. Sharma explained.

As per the pet parents, they were giving heart medications to Juliet for the last one year, Dr. Sharma said.

They learnt about the procedure from their visit to the U.S. where this surgery was introduced at Colorado state university two years ago, he said.