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.”
