Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
CLEARWATER, Florida (November 30, 2012) - Morton Plant Hospital has been invited to participate in the PARTNER II Trial, the second phase of a research study using a minimally invasive procedure to treat patients with severe aortic stenosis. The trial will study transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in which a metal valve is fed through a catheter inserted through an incision made either in the groin, between the ribs, or in the chest wall to replace the diseased aortic valve.
The PARTNER II Trial is the follow-up to the PARTNER Trial, a pivotal study that led the FDA to approve use of the Edwards SAPIEN valve in TAVR procedures for patients originally deemed high-risk or inoperable. The PARTNER II Trial is designed to study the second generation valve (SAPIEN XT) and delivery system (NovaFlex). Learn more...
About Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
An innovator in heart care, Morton Plant Hospital is the first hospital in Tampa Bay, Florida approved to offer the newly available Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure to patients with severe aortic stenosis. The TAVR team at Morton Plant Hospital is one of the few to offer alternative vascular access to patients with small vessels. This expertise in small vessel access may enable those patients who were previously told they were not candidates to proceed with TAVR therapy at Morton Plant Hospital.
The new TAVR procedure (sometimes referred to as TAVI – Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant) is an alternative to traditional open-heart surgery and enables a collapsible aortic heart valve to be placed by entering the femoral artery in the thigh and going through the body via a catheter-based delivery system. TAVR not only offers an improved quality of life for the patient, but it is also an alternative for high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis, who may otherwise not be a candidate for open aortic valve replacement.
TAVR procedures are performed at our Valve Clinic in Clearwater, Florida, in the brand new, state-of-the-art Hybrid Operative Suite.
|
|
| Step 1 |
Step 2 |
Step 3 |
Step 1: Catheter is introduced into the diseased valve.
Step 2: Valve is put in place and expanded with a balloon.
Step 3: Balloon is deflated, catheter is removed and the new valve remains in place.
Up to 1.5 million people in the United States suffer from aortic stenosis, a progressive disease that affects the aortic valve of their hearts. Of these 1.5 million, approximately 250,000 people suffer from severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, often developing debilitating symptoms that can restrict normal activities, such as walking short distances or climbing stairs.
While these patients can often benefit from aortic valve surgery, only approximately two-thirds of them undergo the procedure each year. Many patients are not treated because they are deemed inoperable for surgery, have not received a definitive diagnosis, or because they delay or decline the procedure for a variety of reasons.
Patients who do not receive an aortic valve replacement (AVR) have no effective, long-term treatment option to prevent or delay their disease progression. Without it, severe symptomatic aortic stenosis is life-threatening – studies indicate that 50 percent of patients will not survive more than an average of two years after the onset of symptoms.
Symptoms of severe aortic stenosis include:
- Severe shortness of breath, leading to gasping – even at rest
- Chest pain or tightness
- Extreme fatigue
- Lightheadedness and/or fainting
- Difficulty exercising
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
For more information on transcatheter aortic valve replacement and the Valve Clinic at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, FL, please visit TampaBayHeartValve.org.
To contact the Valve Clinic Coordinator, please call (855) 44-VALVE (855-448-2583). Physicians can fax a referral form to (727) 462-7261.
View our 2011 Cardiovascular Surgery Outcomes Report.
Related Articles:
Minimally Invasive Heart-Valve Procedure Shows Promise
Related Videos:
|
