Patients in need of a heart valve replacement have a new option for care in Hanover County. A multi-disciplinary team of cardiac surgeons and cardiologists at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center are now offering transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR.
TAVR is a minimally invasive method of treating valve disease without open heart surgery. Instead of making a large incision in the chest, the medical team inserts a catheter into one of the leg arteries, which serves as a conduit to deliver the new valve. The new valve is crimped very tightly on a balloon, advanced through a catheter to the diseased valve and put in place with balloon inflation. Upon deflation and removal of the balloon, the new valve is immediately functional, and most patients experience instant clinical benefit.
“We are thrilled to launch this program at Memorial Regional Medical Center and look forward to treating patients with complicated aortic valve disorders,” said Sohail Chaudry, M.D., interventional cardiologist, Bon Secours Advanced Cardiac Valve Center (ACVC). “Having access to TAVR services at Memorial Regional Medical Center is going to make a big difference for many of our patients suffering from valve disease who will now have more convenient access to this advanced treatment.”
All patients suffering from aortic stenosis may be potential candidates for this approach. The team performs the procedure, which typically takes approximately 60 minutes under local anesthesia, in a newly renovated, state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab. TAVR carries a very low risk of complications and patients are often ready for discharge within 24 hours.
The goals of TAVR are to improve survival rates for aortic stenosis patients who are not candidates for surgical valve replacement, as well as to relieve symptoms of the condition. This procedure has given patients with limited treatment options a chance for an improved quality and length of life.
Dr. Chaudry is part of a multidisciplinary TAVR team that includes cardiovascular surgeon Brody Wehman, M.D., interventional cardiologist Sameer Rohatgi, M.D., nurse practitioner for ACVC Renee Tierney, RN, MSN, ACNP and the wider structural heart team at Memorial Regional Medical Center involved in the pre and post procedural care process. In addition to the offering at Memorial Regional Medical Center, the TAVR procedure is also available at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital.