Only top 7% of U.S. hospitals OK’d for valve that doesn’t require open heart surgery

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center announced today that it is among the first U.S. hospitals to receive approval to perform a new nonsurgical heart valve replacement procedure, the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

TAVR is significant because it does not require open chest surgery, giving hope for heart patients with inoperable aortic stenosis (failing heart valves).

A catheter fed through the femoral artery is used to implant the Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve, which just received FDA approval for commercial use in the U.S.

“Patients with inoperable aortic stenosis tend to be older and sicker, often with multiple additional health issues complicating their condition,” explained Peggy Morehouse, RN, director of Heart and Vascular Services at Scottsdale Healthcare.

“The TAVR procedure gives hope for extending the lives of these patients with improved quality of life.”

The hospital opened a new Hybrid Operating Room today, which makes new procedures like TAVR possible.

“The Hybrid OR integrates multiple technologies that allow procedures like the just-approved TAVR nonsurgical heart valve replacement,” said Gary Baker, senior VP and administrator at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn.

“The FDA said only the top 7% of heart programs in the U.S. can offer this procedure, and cardiologists at Scottsdale Healthcare are already evaluating patients who may benefit.”

The state-of-the-art, 800-sq. ft. Hybrid OR combines the latest surgical, cardiac catheterization and 3-D radiologic imaging technologies with real-time patient monitoring to allow the most complicated procedures without moving the patient for specialized procedures.

The patient stays in place with the interventional cardiologist, electrophysiologist or interventional radiologist and heart and vascular surgeon all working side by side.

A multidisciplinary team of interventional cardiologists, radiologists and surgeons evaluates each patient for eligibility for the TAVR procedure and all are present in the Hybrid OR, according to Robert Riley, M.D., medical director for cardiovascular surgery.

“Having everything in one room saves valuable time and eliminates the need to transport a patient from one room to another,” said interventional cardiologist Malik Shah, M.D. “This could make a big difference in many cases and may ultimately even save lives.”

• More than five million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year.
• Without an aortic valve replacement, 50 percent of patients will not survive more than an average of two years after the onset of symptoms.

Patients interested in learning more about the TAVR procedure can call the Scottsdale Healthcare Heart Valve Clinic Coordinator at 480-323-3459.

Scottsdale Healthcare is the community-based, nonprofit parent organization of the Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute and Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. A leader in medical innovation, talent and technology, Scottsdale Healthcare was founded in 1962 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit www.shc.org.

SOURCE Scottsdale Healthcare