Beebe launches transcatheter aortic valve replacement program

Leadership at Beebe Healthcare has announced the successful implementation of Sussex County’s first transcatheter aortic valve replacement program.

This latest component of Beebe Healthcare’s Cardiovascular Services now provides a highly therapeutic treatment option for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis who are seeking an alternative to open-heart surgery.

Beebe’s cardiovascular team, led by interventional cardiologists Mouhanad Freih, MD, and Ehtasham Qureshi, MD; cardiac surgeon Ted Stephenson, MD; cardiologist Armin Barekatain, MD; and anesthesiologist Jillian Dashiell, MD, have performed more than 10 minimally invasive TAVR procedures since the program’s inception. All of the patients had their heart valve replaced and went home the next day.

“We celebrate this significant milestone in our persistent pursuit of excellence,” said Mary Frances Suter, DNP, executive director of Beebe cardiovascular services. “Offering this leading-edge technological procedure is yet another example of our commitment to providing our patients the highest level of quality, safety, and service.”

Patients with aortic stenosis benefit from the TAVR procedure. Aortic stenosis is a build-up of calcium deposits on the last door in the heart known as the aortic valve. This causes the opening to narrow and reduce the blood flow to the rest of the body. Over time, if this valve doesn’t fully open, the heart must work harder to push blood through. This narrowing can lead to debilitating symptoms such as shortness of breath, lightheadedness, fatigue, and shortened lifespan.

“Aortic stenosis can interfere with daily activities as basic as walking,” said Freih, an interventional cardiologist affiliated with Beebe and its chief of cardiology. “It is very exciting to offer a minimally invasive procedure that can provide a solution for patients with aortic stenosis. TAVR can lengthen and greatly improve the quality of a patient’s life. Getting a patient back to enjoying life is our ultimate goal.”

“Treatment for aortic stenosis depends on how far your disease has progressed,” said Qureshi, an interventional cardiologist affiliated with Beebe and its chair of interventional cardiology. “If your stenosis is mild, medications may be prescribed. However, with time and progression, the only effective treatment is to replace your aortic valve.”

During the TAVR procedure, an artificial valve is implanted through a catheter, which is inserted through a large artery in the patient’s leg, eliminating the need for open-heart surgery and use of a heart-lung machine.

“We are excited that Beebe now offers two options to intervene upon a diseased aortic valve – the traditional open-heart surgery to replace the aortic valve and now, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, a minimally invasive procedure,” said Stephenson, a cardiac surgeon with Beebe cardiothoracic surgery.

Previously, TAVR was used only if a patient was considered inoperable or high-risk for a traditional valve replacement or open-heart surgery, but the procedure has received approval for low- to intermediate-risk patients. TAVR also can be used to replace failing tissue aortic valves, eliminating the need for those patients to have a second open-heart surgery.

For more information about TAVR and an educational video, go to beebehealthcare.org.