TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan’s Chi Mei Medical Center has successfully treated a 67-year-old man with heart failure by using a minimally invasive catheter-based heart valve procedure instead of traditional open-chest surgery.

CNA reported Wednesday that the man suffered from a leaking aortic valve and worsening heart failure, along with unusual blood vessel anatomy and a history of major heart surgery. The hospital said reopening the chest could have caused severe bleeding and serious structural damage.

The medical center’s Cardiovascular Surgery Director Wu Nan-chun (吳南鈞) said the team chose a catheter-based valve replacement through a small incision on the left side of the chest. Wu said the approach allowed doctors to reach the heart safely while avoiding old surgical grafts and twisted blood vessels.

UDN reported that the surgery took just over 60 minutes and did not require stopping the heart or opening the chest. Doctors said the patient was discharged eight days later and experienced no complications.

Liberty Times reported that untreated heart valve problems can slowly overload the heart and eventually lead to heart failure. Doctors said early checkups and timely treatment can greatly reduce the risk of serious complications.