Hospital Performs New Heart Procedure

On January 21, the Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) physicians were among the first in Acadiana to use the Edwards SAPIEN heart valve to perform a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement(TAVR) procedure. The TAVR is a less invasive procedure that allows a new valve to be inserted within the diseased aortic valve while the heart is still beating. This is completely different from that of traditional open heart surgery, and allows patients to return to normal life a few weeks after.

The Edwards SAPIEN valve is the only approved TAVR therapy in the United States. CIS cardiologist, Dr. Louis Salvaggio, Raghotham Patlola, Wade May and John Patterson performed the valve replacement Monday, using the native aortic valve. The valve replacement is performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory under general anesthesia.

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 severs and include chest pain, fatigue, feeling faint, heart palpitations or heart murmur. Aortic stenosis weakens the heard and may eventually lead to heart failure.