August 30, 2019
Pictured from left to right: Heather Daunis, RN; Julie Veasey; Dr. Lance Lamotte; Dr. Nayan Agarwal; Dr. Garland Green; Brooke Everett, RN; Dr. Antoine Keller; Ross Castille, CRNA; Dr. Corey Willman; Robb Hickey; Heath Auzenne and Trace Pourciau.
BATON ROUGE – One option for patients with aortic valve disease is transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR. The minimally invasive surgery repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve, typically resulting in a shorter recovery time and a quicker return to normal activities. The first TAVR procedure was performed at Baton Rouge General on August 29 by a cardiothoracic surgeon at Baton Rouge General, Dr. V. Antoine Keller, and interventional cardiologists with Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS), Dr. Garland Green and Dr. Nayan Agarwal.
“TAVR is ubiquitous – it has changed the paradigm for taking care of patients with aortic valve disease,” said Dr. V. Antoine Keller.
“This minimally-invasive, revolutionary procedure to replace a defective heart valve without open heart surgery brings new hope for people with advanced heart disease,” said Dr. Garland Green.
In a TAVR procedure, a physician team inserts a new aortic valve, typically through an incision in the patient’s leg, within the diseased aortic valve while the heart is still beating. The new valve will be expanded into place and secured. With a properly working valve, patients should start to feel better right away. Most patients are discharged within one to two days and are able to resume normal activities within a week.
Patients with valve disease may experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, or the inability to do tasks that were once simple like walking or mowing the yard. Sometimes they attribute these symptoms to just getting older, but often they’re a sign of repairable heart disease.
TAVR is for patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis who are not candidates for traditional open chest aortic valve replacement surgery. Aortic stenosis is a common type of valve disease that can occur with aging – typically after age 60, but symptoms may not show until age 70 or 80. Studies show that more than 1 in 8 people age 75 and older have moderate or severe aortic stenosis, and as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, that number is sure to rise.
“What matters most, in my opinion, is the relationship that patients have with their doctors,” Dr. Keller added. “That they understand all of the options available, and can share in the decision-making process to provide the best outcome for each patient for the long term.”
“TAVR not only brings hope to inoperable patients but also opens the door for valve replacement via a minimally invasive route for patients who want to avoid a major surgery,” said Dr. Nayan Agarwal.
Click here to learn more about TAVR.