CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center celebrates 500th successful heart procedure

CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center recently marked the successful completion of 500 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, a surgical option for patients with heart disease affecting the aortic valve.

“The short recovery time after a TAVR procedure is one of the biggest advantages as compared to traditional open-heart surgery,” said Dr. Timothy Danish, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic cardiothoracic surgeon. “As an example, a traditional heart surgery patient may have a hospital stay of four to five days and take about six weeks to heal, whereas a TAVR patient typically spends one overnight stay in the hospital, followed by a week of recovery.”

Aortic valve stenosis is a heart valve disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans each year.

The procedure uses a replacement valve attached to a catheter, which is inserted into the body through an artery, usually the groin area. It is then expanded and inserted where the old valve has malfunctioned.

Danish said a typical TAVR procedure takes about an hour or less, or maybe two hours in a complicated case. During the recovery and healing process, patients can resume most normal activities.

“Whereas TAVR was once reserved for older and sicker patients that were not candidates for heart surgery, the procedure is being more widely adopted for younger and healthier patients,” Danish said. “As there are multiple factors involved in the decision on which procedure is best, it is imperative that the team approach is used to decide what is best for each individual patient.”

Danish added, “The TAVR procedure has already proven itself to be an excellent addition to the complement of heart valve procedures offered by the valve team and it continues to grow in volume around the world.”

Dr. Pavan Katikaneni, cardiologist with Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists, said reaching this milestone is about the lives improved and the families impacted by the work done every day.

“Each procedure represents a story of enhanced quality of life and renewed hope for patients who were once considered high risk for traditional surgery,” he said. “This achievement is a testament to the dedication, expertise and teamwork of the entire structural heart team.”

Katikaneni added, “As we celebrate this accomplishment, we remain focused on the future, continuing to innovate and improve our services to ensure the best possible outcomes for those in our care.”

The 500th case occurred on June 26, with four TAVR procedures taking place that day. The hospital’s first TAVR procedure was done in 2018.