One of only 10 hospitals in the nation to implant technology commercially
Louisville, Ky. – Offering the latest, cutting-edge heart valve replacement technology, Jewish Hospital, part of KentuckyOne Health, announced its first implant of the newly approved recapturable, self-expanding CoreValve Evolut R System. This is the first in Kentucky and one of only 10 hospitals in the country to implant the CoreValve Evolut R System commercially.
The first-and-only recapturable and repositionable device available in the U.S., the CoreValve Evolut R System is approved for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in severe aortic stenosis patients who are at high or extreme risk for surgery. Untreated, aortic valve stenosis can lead to serious heart problems including heart failure and even death.
The self-expanding CoreValve Evolut R System was used on a 90-year-old male patient by Kendra Grubb, MD, University of Louisville physician, cardiovascular surgeon and surgical director of Jewish Hospital’s Heart Valve Team. Surgeons completed the entire procedure with him awake in about 45 minutes.
“Bringing another new TAVR technology to the patients in Louisville is exciting and furthers KentuckyOne’s commitment to providing patients with the most advanced technology. Having already completed over 200 TAVR procedures, the new device expands the number of patients we are able to help and gives us the ability to individualize patient care,” said Dr. Grubb. “We are very excited to be offering this exciting new technology to the patients in Louisville.”
Aortic stenosis is a common heart problem caused by a narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve due to excessive calcium deposited on the valve leaflets. When the valve narrows, it does not open or close properly, making the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Eventually, this causes the heart to weaken and function poorly, which may lead to heart failure and increased risk for sudden cardiac death.
The CoreValve Evolut R System replaces a diseased aortic heart valve through a minimally invasive procedure, without open-heart surgery and without surgical removal of the diseased valve. The device is typically inserted via an artery in the leg and then guided through the arteries into the heart. Once in place, the device expands and takes over the original valve’s function to enable oxygen-rich blood to flow efficiently out of the heart.
The approval of the CoreValve Evolut R System as the first self-expanding, recapturable and repositionable transcatheter heart valve available in the U.S. represents a significant advancement in the TAVR industry. The CoreValve Evolut R System is built on the proven foundation and procedural success of the CoreValve System, which has been implanted in more than 75,000 patients in 60 countries.
The first TAVR in Kentucky using conscious sedation was performed by the Jewish Hospital Heart Valve team on December 11, 2014. Conscious sedation, in lieu of general anesthesia, makes for quicker recovery times, shortened hospital stays and cost savings. The team performed its 200th TAVR procedure on June 18, 2015.
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