Apple Watch alert leads doctor to seek care, reveals need for heart valve surgery

An Apple Watch alert prompted Dr Satish Sachdeva, a senior medical professional, to seek a cardiac evaluation that led to the discovery that his mitral valve needed replacement, according to an account shared by Apple.

Dr Sachdeva felt something was wrong with his heart while on a flight to Bengaluru. After his Apple Watch alerted him to an irregularity, he took an ECG reading. A cardiologist subsequently examined him and found that his mitral valve required replacement. He underwent surgery at Medanta and is reportedly doing well.

His daughter Pranjali, who wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook to express her gratitude, said her father’s condition had remained undetected despite routine health checks.


“By the time the degree of valve calcification he had is typically caught, it is often dangerously late. The watch served as the crucial early warning that prompted immediate medical evaluation and timely surgical intervention,” she said.

Pranjali also said the watch has helped the family monitor his heart rate after surgery.

“Because keeping his heart rate below 70 bpm is vital post-surgery, receiving real-time alerts whenever his heart rate spikes has allowed us to quickly investigate potential triggers (such as dietary changes or stress) and implement immediate lifestyle adjustments to prevent recurrence,” she said.