Kolkata: Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass, a
unit of one of the largest healthcare providers of Eastern India – Manipal
Hospitals Group, has achieved a significant milestone in advanced cardiac
care by successfully implanting Eastern India’s first MyCLIP TEER on a
60-year-old male patient, Ramswaroop from Asansol, on 29th November 2025.
The landmark procedure was performed by Dr. Dilip Kumar, Director Cath Lab,
Senior Interventional Cardiologist, and Device and Structural Heart Expert at
Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass, offering a safe and effective treatment option
for a patient who was at very high risk for conventional open-heart surgery. Along
with Dr. Dilip Kumar, the procedure was carried out with the active support and
expertise of Dr. Prakash Kumar Hazra, Director and Head Cardiology
Specialist, Manipal Hospital, Dhakuria; Dr. Rabin Chakraborty, Senior
Consultant – Cardiology, Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass; and Dr. Anil Kumar
Singhi, Senior Consultant – Paediatric Cardiology, Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass,
underscoring a strong multidisciplinary collaboration.
The MyCLIP device used in this landmark procedure was earlier
manufactured globally by only two companies, with the overall cost of the
procedure nearing ₹30 lakh. Under the Government of India’s Make in India
initiative, the device is now manufactured in India by Meril, bringing
down its cost by nearly 50 % to approximately ₹15 lakh. However, when the
patient, Ramswaroop, a small business owner from Asansol with no public
insurance cover, was assessed for the procedure, his financial constraints made
it difficult for him to proceed. Recognising the need, the device manufacturer
further reduced the cost by more than 50 percent as part of a CSR initiative, with
additional support from the Manipal Foundation and another social
organisation, ensuring no extra financial burden on the patient.
Mitral regurgitation happens when one of the heart’s valves
does not close properly, causing blood to flow backward instead of moving
forward to supply oxygen to the body. This makes the heart work much harder,
leading to symptoms like severe breathlessness, extreme tiredness, disturbed
sleep, and a constant feeling of suffocation. This was Ramswaroop’s daily
struggle. He was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy (a condition where
the heart becomes enlarged and weak, reducing its pumping capacity, with an LVEF—Left
Ventricular Ejection Fraction—of 25%, meaning the heart was pumping far less
blood than normal), severe mitral regurgitation (leakage in another
heart valve), pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood
vessels of the lungs), along with minor coronary artery disease (CAD –
narrowing of heart arteries) and hypertension (high blood pressure). Earlier,
he was admitted to the hospital with severe anasarca (extreme fluid
retention causing swelling all over the body) and heart failure. Due to his
fragile condition, surgical valve replacement posed a very high risk, and
without intervention, his symptoms were progressively worsening; thus, the
decision of MyCLIP TEER implantation was taken.
In such high-risk cases, the MyCLIP TEER System, a Made-in-India
innovation, offers a vital alternative. Designed for patients with severe
mitral regurgitation who cannot undergo open surgery due to advanced age,
physical frailty, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, weak or enlarged hearts, or
kidney, lung and liver problems, MyCLIP enables doctors to repair the mitral
valve using a minimally invasive approach. Untreated severe mitral
regurgitation carries a devastating prognosis, with studies showing that more
than 50% of patients may not survive without timely treatment and a one-year
mortality rate of up to 57%. The MyCLIP TEER System precisely brings together
the flaps of the mitral valve, preventing backward blood flow into the lungs
and improving the heart’s efficiency. The procedure typically takes about an
hour, is performed through a small puncture in the leg vein, and allows
patients to return home within 3–5 days, resuming light daily activities
shortly after discharge.
During Ramswaroop’s procedure, the MyCLIP (LW-12/6) device
was successfully implanted, reducing the severe valve leakage to trivial
levels. The impact was almost immediate; his breathing became easier, chest
pressure reduced, sleep improved, and overall comfort and stability returned. He
was discharged in a stable condition, within two days and has resumed his
business again. This landmark procedure not only marks a major clinical
milestone for Eastern India but also highlights how indigenous medical
innovation is expanding access to life-saving care for patients once considered
untreatable.
While explaining the procedure, Dr. Dilip Kumar said,
“Severe mitral regurgitation can drastically affect both the quality and length
of a patient’s life, especially when it is accompanied by multiple
co-morbidities and poor heart function. In Ramswaroop’s case, open-heart
surgery carried a very high risk. MyCLIP TEER offered a minimally invasive yet
effective alternative that gave him a real chance at recovery. This procedure
also demands extremely stringent patient selection and precise anatomical
measurements to ensure optimal outcomes. Successfully performing the first
MyCLIP procedure in Eastern India is a significant clinical milestone for us,
as it demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of this indigenously manufactured
device. Equally important is the fact that we were able to ensure access to
this advanced therapy despite financial challenges, which we could overcome
through the support of the device manufacturing company Meril, Manipal
Foundation and several other NGOs from the city. On behalf of the entire team,
I would also like to thank Dr. Sumanto Mukhopadhyay, a senior and highly
respected cardiologist in Kolkata, for his active support throughout the
procedure.”
Sharing his experience, Ramswaroop said, “Before this
procedure, every breath felt like a battle. Simple activities such as walking a
few steps or lying down to sleep had become frightening, and nights were often
spent sitting up, worried that I might lose my breath. I had almost accepted
that this would be my life. After the MyCLIP procedure, the change has been
nothing short of a blessing. I can breathe comfortably, sleep peacefully, and
feel strength returning to my body. I will always be grateful to Dr. Dilip
Kumar and the entire team at Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass, for giving me a
second chance at life.”