Summati
THE
n Weekly USPS Publication Number 16300
T h is C om mu n i t y N ewsp a p er is a pu bl ica t ion of E sca m bia / S a n ta Rosa B a r Assoc ia t ion
Section A, Page 1
Vol. 17, No. 15
Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com
April 19, 2017
1 Section, 8 Pages
Keeping Your Ticker Ticking: Baptist Completes Its 100th TAVR Procedure
TAVR & cath lab team at Baptist Heart & Vascular Institute
F
By Tanner Yea
or many people, a blocked heart valve can spell disaster. Although a variety of procedures exist, some are dangerous to certain patients who are just not strong enough to survive the operation— but need the procedure to live. Baptist Health & Vascular Institute, or BHVI, is offering a solution for those patients. They are paving the way forward, performing their 100th successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in October of last year. “Reaching this milestone is a testament to the teamwork and dedication of our team at Baptist Hospital,” said Luther I. Carter, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist. The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR for short, is a procedure designed for high-risk patients —those in their 70s or 80s who would struggle to become strong enough to endure more traditional heart surgery. The TAVR procedure is fairly simple at its base – an artificial valve is inserted through a catheter, either through the femoral artery in the groin of a minimallyinvasive direction through the heart’s left ventricle. Once inside, the new valve is pushed onto the blocked artery and opened, pushing the old valve out of the way and letting the new one function. Baptist has been performing the procedure since 2014 and its 100th patient was a 90-year-old who was up and walking within six hours. Dr. Carter said that the patient was discharged in great spirits and without any shortness of breath. BHVI also went on to complete two other successful TAVR procedures that same day.
“This leading edge technology and service is something we are all proud of, and I appreciate every team member
dure, a few common options for replacing a valve were available. Mechanical and tissue valves replaced the dam-
Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) involved in developing our successful structural heart program,” Dr. Carter said. Prior to the TAVR proce-
aged valve outright, either with an artificial mechanism or mammal donor tissue. The other option is the Ross Pro-
cedure, which uses a patient’s existing healthy valve as a replacement. Both options are generally more invasive, often requiring full open heart surgery, which can place a strain on a weak patient. “TAVR is an option for people who are so fragile, they really have no other options,” said Marilyn Smith, public relations specialist at Baptist Health Care. “Through this less invasive procedure, recovery time and pain may be reduced.” According to the American Heart Association, TAVR procedures lower the risk of infection, cause less surgical trauma to chest and heart tissue, and only require a hospital stay from three to five days. BHVI’s 100th patient was in fact discharged the day after the procedure, and the overall recovery time was shorter. Baptist was the first to introduce TAVR without general anesthesia to the region, said Saurabh Sanon, M.D. FACC, interventional cardiologist. “This high level of care places us on the map with other select elite cardiac institutes in the U.S., and allows our patients to receive worldclass heart valve care right here at home in Pensacola,” said Sanon. “Having successfully completed more than one hundred TAVRs, our team is the area’s most experienced in providing this procedure.” The TAVR procedure is often recommended to patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis. This is a thickening of the aortic valve, which can lead to shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain and fatigue. If left alone the disease can be fatal. Studies have shown that 50 percent of patients diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis will not survive more than two years
on average after diagnosis. Severe aortic stenosis becomes more common with age. According to the American Heart Association, heart valves slowly degrade as we get older, and they may become too fragile or weak to operate. Other causes include calcium build-up, injury, or even as a side effect of radiation therapy focused on the chest. “TAVR is approved for moderate risk, high risk, inoperable patients, and for those who have a preexisting surgical valve who warrant replacement,” said F. James Fleischhauer, M.D., FACC, interventional cardiologist. “In experienced hands, TAVR has been shown to be lower risk than surgical replacement in elderly patients.” According to The Heart Foundation, a charity focused on preventing and healing cardiovascular illness, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with their most recent report showing 787,000 people dying from it in 2011. Heart diseases takes a financial toll as well, with direct and indirect costs totaling more than 320 billion dollars. BHVI is giving a chance to patients who might not have had any future while suffering from severe aortic stenosis. “Baptist Heart & Vascular Institute physicians are committed to being at the forefront of innovative care and will continue bringing break-through procedures to our area, ensuring our community has access to the best heart health care possible,” said Marilyn Smith. “Changes in procedures and technology never cease.” For more information on TAVR, other heart procedures, and BHVI in general, visit eBaptistHealthCare.org.