WellStar Health System Performs First Percutaneous Aortic Valve Replacement Surgeries

Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve

In a multidisciplinary approach to cardiac care that is synonymous with the WellStar Cardiovascular Network, four physicians -- two heart surgeons and two interventional cardiologists -- performed two successful percutaneous aortic valve replacement surgeries on Thursday, May 17, at WellStar Kennestone Hospital. These procedures offer an alternative for patients who previously were unable to have traditional aortic valve replacement due to co-morbidities or other issues.

The team of physicians who participated in the two surgeries included interventional cardiologists Arthur Reitman, M.D.,  and Amar Patel, M.D., and heart surgeons William A. Cooper, M.D. and Richard Myung, M.D., Echocardiographer Sarita Kansal, M.D., and cardiac anesthesiologist Matt Grabowski, M.D., also participated. Both patients had successful procedures and are recovering at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

During these surgeries, the replacement valve, called the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve (pictured above) and developed by Edwards Lifesciences, was passed through the femoral artery in the groin and advanced up to the patient’s heart. It substitutes for a much more invasive procedure in which the chest has to be opened in order to replace the valve.

"These collaborative efforts between cardiology and cardiac surgery are a new paradigm for innovative therapies and transformative care delivery for patients who might not qualify for traditional valve surgery," according to Dr. Reitman,  Medical Director for Cardiac Catheterization, and Dr. Cooper, Medical Director for Cardiac Surgery for WellStar Health System. "WellStar's highly integrated physician network forms the foundation for this patient-centered, comprehensive approach to structural heart disease."

The Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve received FDA approval for the treatment of certain inoperable patients in November 2011.

"These procedures mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing evolution of expanding cardiovascular services available to the WellStar community," said Drs. Reitman and Cooper.  "These efforts were initiated with cardiac surgery and angioplasty programs at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in December 2004."