UPMC Harrisburg (Pa.) is the first hospital in the world to use a new transcatheter aortic valve replacement system.
Hemal Gada, MD, president of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, implanted the newest-generation Evolut FX+ TAVR system in an 82-year-old woman with aortic valve stenosis. The technology maintains valve performance but allows larger coronary access windows through a modified design that is four times larger than previous interactions, according to a May 13 system news release shared with Becker's.
"This is a significant achievement for patient care in our region," Dr. Gada said in the release. "This system's improved lifetime management is highly beneficial to patients undergoing the TAVR procedure, especially younger patients who may require additional procedures in the future."