In July 1998, Dr. Purshotam Lal at Metro Heart Institute in Noida (Delhi NCR) performed India’s first non-surgical repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm involving both iliac arteries, which supply blood to the lower limbs. The patient, 68-year-old Satyvan Bhatnagar, underwent this groundbreaking two-hour procedure. At that time, the surgical mortality rate for such cases was 10%, and it can go upto 50% in emergency situations.

Untreated, an aneurysm could rupture, often resulting in death. This particular case was even more risky because the patient also had several blocked arteries, which were opened before addressing the aneurysm.

The procedure was conducted in the cath lab under general anesthesia. An endoprosthesis, made of nitinol wire mesh and folded inside an 18 French Catheter, was inserted through the right groin area and guided to the aneurysmal sac. Once the sheath carrying the prosthesis was removed, the nitinol wire mesh, in the form of a stent,expanded spontaneously upon contact with blood heat. This mesh,incorporating a thin woven polyester fabric, adopted the shape of the natural aorta andiiliac arteries.