Structural Heart Program

In many cases, a minimally invasive procedure will address the issue. This means the surgeon accesses the heart through catheters inserted in small incisions in the skin. For others, traditional open-heart surgery is the best option.

• Structural Heart Program is lead by structural heart cardiologists who perform life-changing minimally invasive procedures for patients with conditions affecting structures of the heart, including valves, walls or chambers.
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now performed by a multidisciplinary team of cardiothoracic surgeons and structural heart cardiologists. Minimally invasive heart valve replacement has historically been done only at large academic medical centers for patients considered too risky for open-heart surgery, but it was recently deemed safe for others with aortic stenosis and approved for smaller hospitals. TAVR is for those with aortic stenosis or narrowing of the valve caused by calcium buildup which obstructs the flow of oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This procedure is revolutionary because the new valve is inserted via the femoral artery through a small cut in the groin area instead of traditional open-heart surgery. As a result, patients recover quicker and experience less pain, blood loss, and chance of infection or other complications. The procedure usually takes less than two hours and most patients feel immediate relief. They can leave the Hospital in the next day or two instead of spending several days in the Cardiac Care Unit.