Hyderabad, May 06th, 2026: In a significant medical achievement, doctors at Aster Prime Hospital, Hyderabad, successfully treated a 62-year-old kidney and heart patient from Kamareddy using the advanced Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) technique. The procedure has emerged as a lifesaver for patients who are either ineligible for or reluctant to undergo traditional bypass surgery.
The patient arrived at Aster Prime after being turned down by 4–5 other hospitals, which categorized his condition as an extremely “high-risk” case as he is having kidney problem and COPD. He suffered from severe calcified lesions, where calcium deposits had turned his coronary arteries as hard as cement.
Dr. Sai Ravishankar, HOD & Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Aster Prime Hospital, explained:
“When heart attacks or blocks are neglected, soft plaques gradually turn into hard calcium deposits. In this patient, the blockage was so rigid (80–90%) that standard stenting was impossible. We used the IVL technique, also known as ‘shockwave’ lithotripsy, to break this calcium.”
Unlike traditional methods, IVL uses sonic pressure waves (similar to those used to break kidney stones) to crack the hard calcium within the artery wall.
- Precision: Once the calcium is fractured, the artery becomes flexible again.
- Stenting: This allows doctors to safely expand a stent and restore blood flow.
- Technology: The team combined IVL with IVUS (Intravascular Ultrasound) for high-precision imaging and execution.
Dr. Ravishankar highlighted that IVL could help avoid bypass surgery in approximately 50% of complex cases. He noted the key advantages over traditional surgery:
The medical team emphasized that there is no age limit for this procedure. “We recently performed this on a patient in their 70s, and it can be safely done even for those aged 86–88, provided they are clinically fit,” said Dr. Ravishankar.
While traditional bypass surgery is a major invasive procedure that requires opening the chest or sternum and necessitates general anesthesia, the Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) procedure offers a minimally invasive alternative performed via a small access point in the arm or leg. The recovery profiles differ significantly; bypass surgery typically involves a lengthy 10–15 day period of bed rest, whereas IVL patients are often discharged within 24 hours. Furthermore, IVL presents a much safer option for high-risk and elderly patients—particularly those with underlying kidney or lung issues—who might otherwise face severe complications with the high risk factors associated with traditional surgery.
To date, Aster Prime Hospital has successfully completed 16 such complex IVL cases, providing a new lease on life for patients previously deemed “untreatable.” The patient from Kamareddy has since been discharged and has returned home in stable condition.Dr Harish explained
