Pulmonary Valve Disease Treatment in India

Krishna Gupta, a 72-year-old retired schoolteacher...

Krishna Gupta, a 72-year-old retired schoolteacher and avid gardener, had a complex medical history that included a surgery for a congenital heart defect in her childhood. For decades, she managed well, but recently, she felt a profound and persistent exhaustion that her morning tea couldn't fix. Simple tasks like watering her plants left her panting. She developed a dry, nagging cough and occasional chest discomfort she described as 'fluttering.' Her cardiologist, monitoring her lifelong condition, noted a significant leak in her pulmonary valve (pulmonary regurgitation) and referred her to pulmonologist Dr. Sharma. Scans showed her right heart was enlarged from decades of the leaky valve working inefficiently. Dr. Sharma explained that while Krishna was tough, her heart was now showing the strain. To prevent further damage and heart failure, he recommended a surgical Pulmonary Valve Replacement. The idea of major surgery at her age filled Krishna with dread; she feared becoming a burden to her children. The surgery was successful but the recovery in the ICU was challenging. She felt vulnerable and sore. However, with dedicated cardiac rehab, her strength returned day by day. The constant breathlessness and fluttery feeling were gone. Six months later, she is back in her garden, tending to her roses without needing to sit down every few minutes. Emotionally, her journey was from resilience tested by fear, to vulnerability post-surgery, and finally to a quiet, empowered triumph. She feels she has honored the surgeons who saved her as a child by being brave enough to get the care she needed as an adult.