St. John’s Regional Medical Center Performs First Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
OXNARD, CA, August 6, 2018 – St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC), a Dignity Health hospital, is proud to announce that the expert cardiac team successfully completed its first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) on Monday, July 30, 2018. This innovative procedure offers a minimally invasive catheter approach rather than open heart surgery for patients too high-risk.
“This breakthrough heart technique provides patients, who suffer from severe Aortic Stenosis that are either inoperable or at high risk for surgery, with an improved quality of life,” said Interventional Cardiologist, Heidar Arjomand-Fard, MD. “Only select hospitals, including SJRMC, are able to perform this leading-edge procedure.”
Prior to TAVR, patients with narrowed aortic valves, had limited options and faced a very poor prognosis with long commutes to seek treatment; however, now there is no need to travel miles for this life-saving procedure since it is now at SJRMC, close to home and close to our patient’s loved ones.
“Offering the latest medical and surgical technology, including TAVR, is part of our continued commitment to providing our patients with care that meets the highest standards of quality, safety, and service,” said Darren Lee, President and CEO of St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital. “We have worked diligently this past year to provide patients the option to not only select their community physicians for excellent care, but in the comfort of their own backyard.”
TAVR uses catheter approach rather than standard open-heart surgery. When the new valve has been expanded, it pushes the old valve leaflets out of the way, and the new valve takes over regulating blood flow. Previously, this procedure was only available to high-risk patients, however, now, this first-of-its-kind technique is now offered to intermediate risk patients with Aortic Stenosis.
SJRMC’s first TAVR patient, David Stengel from Oxnard was on his feet the day after this procedure, laughing, and joking with the nurses in the hospital.
St. John’s Hospitals’ multidisciplinary cardiac team consisting of Surgeons, Cardiologist, Anesthesiologists, Radiologists and Nurses, who have received extensive training, which allows them to tailor our patient’s treatment plan to meet their specific needs.
If any member of the media would like additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact Arrate Zavala in the Marketing Communications Department at 805.988.2751.
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About Dignity Health St. John's Regional Medical Center
St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard is a recipient of the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence (2012-2015) and is rated among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care for five consecutive years. St. John’s Regional Medical Center’s cardiac program offers effective treatment for heart disease as a STEMI Receiving Center, world-class clinical research trials, a certified primary stroke center, and recently became the first hospital in California to offer the world’s smallest leadless pacemaker for patients with bradycardia – slow heart rate. In addition, St. John’s was the first and only hospital in Ventura County to perform cryoablation, an innovative procedure to treat atrial fibrillation – a common heart rhythm disorder. St. John’s Cancer Program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers a lung cancer program recognized as the only Center of Excellence in Ventura County. The 16-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. John’s provides family centered care for newborns requiring highly specialized attention. Learn more about other classes, events and support groups here.
Publish date:
Monday, August 06, 2018