The Hospitals of Providence Sierra Campus Celebrates TAVR 1 Year Anniversary
Jul 8, 2020Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) provides a minimally invasive alternative for aortic valve repair
EL PASO, Texas — The Hospitals of Providence Sierra Campus is committed to expanding cardiac care services for the El Paso community. Today, the Sierra Campus celebrates the one year anniversary milestone for performing their first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
TAVR is a minimally invasive way to replace a patient’s narrowed aortic valve without traditional open-heart surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is a less invasive treatment option for those individuals with severe aortic stenosis who, because of age or other medical issues, might not be considered good candidates for traditional surgery. TAVR is performed by physicians trained in interventional cardiology, advanced cardiac imaging, cardiothoracic surgery, and anesthesiology.
“Since we began performing TAVR cases one year ago, we have been able to successfully perform over 60 TAVR procedures right here in El Paso,” said Chalam Mulukutla, MD, board-certified interventional cardiologist, who performed the very first procedure last year. “We’ve seen our patients go from being extremely limited in their daily activities to being able to return to an active normal life after the procedure.”
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S., killing more people every year than all forms of cancer combined. Severe aortic stenosis is a serious heart valve disease, which causes a narrowing of the aortic valve opening, and restricts the blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta and may also affect the pressure in the left atrium.
“Aortic stenosis can interfere with daily activities as basic as walking,” said Hector Flores, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon. “The combination of our team approach to care and new technology has allowed us to provide high quality care for our heart patients getting them back to their normal activities.”
“Being able to perform structural heart cases, to include TAVR, here in El Paso was a significant milestone for cardiac care and for our community,” said Rob J. Anderson, chief executive officer for The Hospitals of Providence Sierra Campus. “Patients who once had to leave town for this procedure are now able to receive the advanced cardiac care they need close to home.”