Bethesda Heart, part of Bethesda Heart Hospital East in Boynton Beach, Fla., has performed its 100th transcatheter aortic valve replacement in under two years since launching the TAVR program in March 2020.
The patient was a 69-year-old man who had previously undergone open-heart surgery, according to a June 17 news release.
"He presented with heart failure symptoms and severe aortic stenosis," said George Daniel, MD, interventional cardiologist who led the procedure at Bethesda Hospital East, part of Baptist Health South Florida. "We felt that he would be best served with TAVR, rather than standard surgery because this would have been his second open-heart surgery. He had bypass surgery in the past, so it would have been a much more difficult recovery time for him."
Over the last several years, TAVR has emerged as the preferred procedure for patients with diseased aortic valves. Before 2018, the procedure was primarily used for patients who were unlikely to survive open-heart surgery. Now, it's more widely available for heart-valve replacement candidates at all risk levels. Patients who undergo TAVR are typically discharged within 24 to 48 hours after the procedure.
"There is definitely a greater awareness in the community and among primary care doctors and cardiologists about the benefits of TAVR," Dr. Daniel said. "We're also at an acceleration point with the approval of low-risk patients as candidates for the procedure. We're doing TAVR almost every day now."
All of Bethesda Hospital East's TAVR procedures have had successful outcomes and no complications, according to a news release.
Dr. Daniel oversees the TAVR program alongside Elyce Kwasman, APRN, valve clinic coordinator. The program is also planning to add a nurse to assist the team.