bypassing open heart surgery

For years, Leesburg Regional Medical Center Heart Institute has set itself apart for excellence in cardiovascular care. The center brings together an expert team of cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, as well as the latest technology, to effectively treat all diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and circulatory system.

Now, Leesburg Regional Medical Center Heart Institute has taken care to an even higher level by becoming one of the first hospitals in the country to perform transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This procedure involves replacing the valves of patients suffering from aortic valve stenosis. It is used on patients who cannot undergo traditional open-heart surgery because of their age and other high-risk factors. In the past, such patients would have been left with few options.

But with TAVI, they are given renewed hope and a second chance in life. Furthermore, those who have the procedure experience minimal cutting and no stoppage of the lungs and heart. As a result, they typically enjoy a quicker recovery time.

In January 2012, Leesburg Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in Central Florida to perform the TAVI procedure.

“We are excited to bring such an innovative procedure here to Lake County,” says Dr. Tim Moore, a cardiovascular surgeon at LRMC. “Before, these patients were stuck with a fatal problem, and there was nothing we could do for them. Now, they are feeling better, enjoying life once again, and staying out of the hospital.”

There are two types of TAVI procedures. The first is a transfemoral TAVI, which involves accessing a patient’s leg artery and advancing a new heart valve across the diseased valve. Of course, this approach is unrealistic for those with severe blockages in leg arteries. Therefore, they would undergo a transapical TAVI, which involves making an incision in the left side of the chest and deploying a new valve near the apex, or tip of the heart.

Patients are evaluated by a team of cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists to determine if they are candidates to undergo the TAVI procedure. This same team is present in the operating room while the procedure takes place.

In addition to Dr. Moore, other local physicians who participate in TAVI include cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Duane Cook and interventional cardiologists Dr. David Lew and Dr. Srivinas Attanti.

“Aortic stenosis is one of the more commonly encountered disease processes in valvular heart disease, affecting more than 300,000 people worldwide,” Dr. Cook says. “The introduction of transcatheter aortic valve replacement has come to the forefront of cardiovascular therapy, providing a viable option primarily for those at high surgical risk.”

Without question, this is another shining example of how Leesburg Regional Medical Center Heart Institute is a pioneer in the treatment of heart disease. Once again, the team remains committed to getting to the heart of cardiac care.