Physicians at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) and Baton Rouge General Medical Center (BRG) performed their 100th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure on April 21 at Baton Rouge General. CIS interventional cardiologists Garland Green, MD, and Shane Prejean, MD, as well as Imtiaz Khan, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon, worked together to perform the procedure.
The TAVR procedure treats severe aortic stenosis by using a catheter-based process to implant an artificial valve. The EVOLUT PRO+ system by Medtronic is designed to replace a patient’s diseased native aortic valve without the need for open-chest surgery and without stopping the patient’s heart. Therefore, the procedure is ideal for patients who are considered high-risk for open heart surgery.
Aortic stenosis occurs when aortic valves do not open properly, hindering the heart from pumping blood throughout the body. The aorta is a major blood vessel that travels from the left heart ventricle out to the body. If left untreated, the aortic valve weakens and the condition worsens over time, potentially leading to heart failure and increased risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Symptoms of aortic stenosis can be severe and include chest pain, fatigue, feeling faint, heart palpitations, or heart murmur. Aortic stenosis weakens the heart and may eventually lead to heart failure.
During the procedure, the bio-prosthetic valve is guided by a catheter to the heart. After the valve is in the correct position, the catheter is retracted, allowing the newly implanted valve to take over the function of the native aortic valve. This valve replacement is performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory under general anesthesia.
“We are thrilled to offer our patients better quality of life with procedures like TAVR,” said Green, CIS interventional cardiologist and Baton Rouge medical director.