Chennai, April 15, 2026:
The Kauvery Heart Institute at Kauvery Hospital, Radial Road, has introduced a specialised cardiac care initiative aimed at treating critically ill patients suffering from complex and high-risk heart conditions. The programme, known as Complex High-Risk Indicated Procedures (CHIP), is designed to handle life-threatening cardiac emergencies with a combination of advanced technology and coordinated medical expertise.
The CHIP programme focuses on patients presenting with severe heart attacks, advanced heart failure, and cardiogenic shock—conditions that require immediate and highly specialised intervention. Hospital authorities said the initiative is structured to provide rapid assessment and treatment, improving survival chances in cases that are often considered near-fatal.
At the core of the programme is a multidisciplinary team approach. The Centre of Excellence for CHIP brings together interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac anaesthetists, and critical care specialists who work in close coordination using structured clinical protocols. This team-based model, widely followed in leading cardiac centres in the United States and Europe, enables faster decision-making and streamlined treatment pathways.
According to Prof. Ajith Pillai, Chief Cardiologist at Kauvery, timely intervention is critical in saving lives. He noted that many patients arrive in extremely critical condition, often due to sudden cardiac events or undiagnosed long-term heart disease. In such cases, the team is able to assess the patient and initiate treatment within 10 to 15 minutes, significantly improving outcomes. Advanced mechanical circulatory support systems, including ECMO and micro-axial cardiac pumps, are used to stabilise patients while complex procedures are carried out.
The hospital has reported several successful outcomes under this approach. In one case, a middle-aged woman suffering from severe breathlessness due to a leaking heart valve was stabilised and treated with an emergency MitraClip procedure, leading to a swift recovery. Another case involved an 85-year-old patient who underwent Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) along with pacemaker insertion, restoring her ability to carry out daily activities. A 65-year-old man with a major heart attack and multiple arterial blockages was also treated successfully using a complex angioplasty supported by an Impella heart pump.
Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Executive Director of the Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said the initiative reflects the institution’s commitment to delivering global standards of cardiac care. He emphasised that integrating advanced technology with multidisciplinary expertise is key to improving outcomes, particularly for high-risk patients.
