100th TAVR Procedure Completed at Dominican Hospital
SANTA CRUZ, CA (Dec. 18, 2018) – The cardiovascular services team at Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has completed 100 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedures – the most advanced procedure available for aortic valve replacement.
The TAVR procedure involves replacing an aortic valve by inserting a new valve through a patient’s artery, rather than opening a patient’s chest. The hospital’s cardiac team has been offering the procedure since 2015 with excellent outcomes. TAVR is particularly effective for patients experiencing aortic stenosis, which has no cure except valve replacement.
“TAVR is a game-changer for people with aortic stenosis, where the only option for treatment used to be management of symptoms,” said Bilal Shafi, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at Dominican Hospital. “TAVR allows us to treat patients who wouldn’t normally be candidates for cardiac procedures, due to age or condition.”
The minimally invasive nature of the hour-long procedure allows for a quicker recovery – the average hospital stay post-procedure is about two days – and helps patients get back to their lives faster than traditional surgery. Dominican Hospital’s TAVR team includes specialists in both interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery who are experienced in complex cardiac procedures.
“The TAVR procedure is another example of the advanced care Dominican Hospital is able to offer, right here in our community,” said Dominican Hospital President Nanette Mickiewicz, MD. “Dominican’s expert team of caregivers handles the most complex cardiac cases in the Monterey Bay area.”
Patients interested in the TAVR procedure should talk to their primary care physician. Additional information about TAVR at Dominican Hospital is available at www.dignityhealth.org/dominican/tavr.
Photos/Videos available for use at https://dignityhealth.box.com/s/n5ks6lxwwloa6wlz5ii5wjb86042ekha
About Dominican Hospital
Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been caring for the Santa Cruz County community for 75 years. Dominican offers emergency services and is a Certified Stroke Center. Dominican’s services include the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County, a Total Joint Replacement program, advanced neurological and endoscopic services, and an expert heart and vascular team treating some of the most complex cardiac cases in the Monterey Bay area. Dominican has received national recognition for superior patient safety, cardiac care, and stroke treatment from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Dominican also has received several awards for environmental excellence.
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Publish date:
Monday, December 17, 2018