St. Mary Medical Center is the first hospital in the region to successfully use a LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System during a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure outside of a clinical trial. The St. Mary Heart and Vascular team of experts uses the new device to treat aortic stenosis, a potentially deadly disease that narrows the aortic valve opening in the heart, leading to shortness of breath, fatigue and potentially life-threatening complications.
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure to replace a narrowed aortic valve that fails to open properly. If the diseased valve is not replaced, symptoms can potentially worsen into heart failure and possibly even death. While patients recover quickly and can resume normal everyday activities soon after a procedure, paravalvular leak is a potential complication of TAVR. A paravalvular leak, or a blood leak around the valve replacement, can cause heart failure or other complications.
The LOTUS Edge Valve significantly minimizes the risk of paravalvular leak in TAVR procedures. It is the only replacement valve system technology available that provides physicians with the option to reposition and completely recapture the valve at full deployment in patients if a paravalvular leak is detected. The valve is fully repositionable and, unlike some other valves, can be deployed as many times as needed to optimize outcomes.
“This procedure is one of the many comprehensive offerings at St. Mary Heart and Vascular Center,” said David Drucker, MD, cardiologist at St. Mary Medical Center, who led the team in performing the procedure. “Being able to provide this innovative option to our patients will help them on the path to better health.”
“We are proud and excited to announce our first successful deployment of a LOTUS Edge Valve,” added Larry Brilliant, MD, president of St. Mary Medical Center. “This gives our skilled heart and vascular team a new, more precise tool to use in treating aortic stenosis. St. Mary has always been committed to providing the community with access to the most advanced heart care, and this is the latest example of that commitment.”
For more information about St. Mary Heart and Vascular Center, visit stmaryhealthcare.org/heart or call 1-844-7-STMARY.
