RAWALPINDI: Former president Mohammad Raffique Tarar underwent a mitraclip procedure on Sunday at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) to repair a leaking valve in his heart.

He is said to be in stable condition.

This is the first time in South Asia that a mitraclip procedure was conducted for repairing a leaking valve in the heart.

A team of three doctors, comprising RIC Chief Executive Officer retired Maj Gen Azhar Mehmood Kayani, Dr Furqad Alamgir and Dr Mohammad Asim, conducted the procedure.

The former president was moved to the intensive care unit.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Kayani said one of the valves in the former president’s heart was leaking, due to which he was having trouble breathing and moving.

He said it was difficult to replace the heart valve through surgery as Mr Tarar is 88 years old and that it was therefore decided that a mitraclip procedure be done instead.

Explaining the procedure, he said a catheter containing the mitraclip was inserted into a vein and clipped on the leaking valve to regularise blood circulation.

“This is the first time the procedure was conducted in South Asia. This is a very expensive procedure and hospitals in other countries charge $35,000 for it,” he said.

Dr Kayani added that it was difficult for the former president to travel abroad or wait and that the procedure was therefore conducted by heart specialists. He said Mr Tarar will be discharged from the hospital in two or three days.

Mohammad Raffique Tarar is a former president of Pakistan and has also served as a senior judge of the Supreme Court. He became president in 1998 after the resignation of former president Farooq Khan Laghari.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2017