Newswise — Scott & White Medical Center – Temple performed its 500th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure on a Waco resident, marking a major program milestone.
“This is a testament to our entire team’s commitment to providing quality care and dedication to serving patients,” said Timothy Mixon, MD, interventional cardiologist at Scott & White Medical Center – Temple. “Through their hard work, we have seen the program grow in six years and, more importantly, seeing patients have an opportunity to have a better quality of life.”
Since May 2012, the Temple TAVR program has performed the minimally invasive procedure on patients in Central Texas, including Austin, College Station, and from as far as Abilene. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011, TAVR is a non-surgical alternative for patients with aortic stenosis which, according to the American Heart Association, is one of the most common and serious valve diseases. Aortic stenosis occurs when the heart’s valve narrows and reduces blood flow, causing the heart valve not to open fully.
“TAVR has made it possible for even the frailest of patients to improve their overall heart function,” said Mark Lawrence, MD, interventional cardiologist at Scott & White – Temple. “We have seen advancements in TAVR and have been able to give our patients an opportunity to recover faster and with less risk.”
Those advancements became evident in December, when a patient received a new aortic valve and was discharged later in the day. Typically, most patients can be released within 24 to 36 hours after the minimally invasive procedure. As new aortic valves and techniques are refined, patients who are not candidates for open heart surgery or at low-risk benefit from the procedure.
“Each and every day we see new possibilities for patients suffering from severe heart disease,” said Chittoor Sai-Sudhakar, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Scott & White – Temple. “The combination of our team approach to care and technology has allowed us to provide high quality care for heart patients.”
Baylor Scott & White has been an active participant in clinical trials helping with the assessment, implementation and advancements of TAVR. The program hopes the quality of life of heart patients improves as result of the medical community’s ongoing research work. The hospital joins other Baylor Scott & White medical centers — The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, The Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in Dallas, and Baylor Heart and Vascular Services in Fort Worth — that collectively have performed more than 2,500 TAVR procedures. See how this work is helping to usher a new era of non-invasive heart care: http://scrubbing.in/tavr-clinical-research-ushering-new-era-heart-care/
For more information, visit our website TAVR at Baylor Scott & White Health.
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