TEER therapy helps revive Iraqi patient with 15% heart function and multi-organ failure – Firstpost

A 58-year-old Iraqi man suffering from critical heart failure and multi-organ dysfunction has survived one of the most complex cardiac interventions performed in India.

On November 11, 58-year-old Hadi Mustafa Hamad reached Paras Health in a near-collapse state with his heart functioning at just 15%. His lungs were filled with fluid, kidneys were failing, and blood pressure was dangerously unstable. For nearly two years, his condition had been misdiagnosed as asthma because diabetes masked his chest-pain symptoms.

The hospital’s team of used a double MitraClip (TEER) therapy, a minimally invasive valve-repair procedure to stabilise his failing heart, ultimately avoiding the need for a transplant.

Why was this case exceptionally complex?

Dr. Amit Bhushan, Director and Unit Head of Cardiology at Paras Health (Gurugram) explained the complexity of the case and why MitraClip [TEER] therapy was critical.

“This was one of the most challenging cases we have seen. A single intervention alone could not have saved him. A second MitraClip was deployed; the patient went into shock, CPR was done, and after multiple episodes of shock, the patient was revived. The MitraClip repaired the leaking valve and restored circulation, stabilising the heart enough to allow the next step.”

A team of 14 specialists including interventional cardiologists, cardiac anaesthetists, intensivists, and cath-lab staff worked together using 3D TEE imaging and fluoroscopy guidance to complete the repair.

What is TEER and why was it chosen?

TEER — Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair is a non-surgical procedure used for patients too weak for open-heart surgery. Instead of opening the chest, doctors insert a thin tube through a vein in the leg and guide it to the heart. A small clip is placed on the leaking mitral valve to stop blood from flowing backward, reducing strain on the heart and improving pumping efficiency.

TEER is especially useful when:

• the patient has severe valve leakage,

• the heart is too weak for surgery,

• other organs (lungs, kidneys) are failing,

• the patient is at risk of progressing to end-stage heart failure.

In Hamad’s case, TEER was the only realistic alternative to a transplant and his condition was too unstable for open-heart surgery.

Why this case matters

The successful use of TEER in such a critically ill patient demonstrates how minimally invasive valve repair is reshaping treatment pathways for those who are too high-risk for open-heart surgery or transplants.