CHRISTUS Spohn reunites patients, doctors for one-year anniversary of innovative heart valve procedure.
On Feb. 27, one year after introducing a break-through minimally invasive heart procedure, CHRISTUS Spohn Health System reunited the first 18 patients to undergo the procedure with the doctors who made it happen. The event took place at ultra-modern Dan A. Hughes Family Hybrid Surgical Suite where the procedures take place.
“It will really mean a lot for our Cardiac Team to reunite with these patients and see how this new procedure has improved their health and changed their lives,” said Kristine Hungate, Chest Pain Center Coordinator at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline.
Often, patients never get a chance to meet the physicians and clinicians who perform the procedure, she said. “This is a great way to bring them all together to say ‘thank you’,” Hungate said.
The new minimally invasive procedure is only offered at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline and adds important years to patient’s lives that might not have any other options to repair congestive heart disease.
It’s called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement or TAVR for short. To date, transcatheter valves have been implanted in more than 70,000 patients worldwide.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., taking the lives of approximately 600,000 Americans each year, while more than five million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year.
The procedure is best suited for those patients who are not ideal candidates for traditional heart-valve replacement procedures. The TAVR procedure forgoes opening the chest to access the heart, an operation that can cause complications for patients such as seniors who are already weakened, or those with other underlying health conditions. And it might just be the future of cardiology.
“There’s much less risk involved with this procedure,” said Dr. Srikanth Damaraju, a cardiologist who practices at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline. “Right now we’re looking to improve the lives of our elderly patients, but I suspect this will soon be the standard for all ages.”
The heart’s valves are three tiny flaps, which look similar to a peace-sign, that open and close to regulate blood flow. Plaque can clog the arteries and valves, reducing the size of the heart’s valves from that of a one-inch pipe to nearly the size of a pinhole.
Over time, the body’s wear and tear slows down the valve’s abilities to do their job, which decreases blood flow, energy and overall health.
During the new procedure, doctors run a tiny artificial heart valve through a vein in the groin, up into the aortic chambers of the patients’ heart. The new valve is put in place and begins working good as new; and recovery time for patients is far less than traditional open-heart procedures.
It’s a life-changing operation that can add years to a person’s life. CHRISTUS Spohn is the only health system to offer the new procedure south of San Antonio.
“We’re very excited to bring our TAVR Team back together with the patients they’ve helped regain their health,” Hungate said. “It should be a very memorable experience for all of us.”