Innovative surgery in the Heart and Brain Center of Excellence in Pleven. An 87-year-old man became the first patient in the cardio surgery to have his bad aortic valve replaced with a transcatheter valve by an invasive procedure

The innovative method is the only chance for normal life for patients with severe complications who have aortic valve calcification and other associated diseases. This type of patients would not be able to go through the classical surgical method with the help of a heart-lung machine.

Doctor Valentin Hristov, invasive cardiologist: By accessing through the femoral artery, we can reach the area of the aortic valve using a catheter, where the valve is being implanted. In this case, the implanted valve is a self-expanding type.

This method can be applied only on certain patients, prof. Vladimir Danov clarified.

Prof. Vladimir Danov, cardio surgeon: It is of paramount importance for this procedure to be performed in highly qualified and high-tech hospitals.

Four days after the invasive procedure, the 87-year-old Kamen Krachunovski says he can already feel improvement in his health.

Kamen Krachunovski, patient: My breathing has improved. Four days have passed from the procedure. My age is also affecting my health.

A few days after this first procedure of this type in Pleven, a second one is performed. Transcatheter aortic valve has been successfully implanted in a 62-year-old man.