Forrest Health Cardiac Team Approaches 1,100 TAVR Procedure
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (February 12, 2024) During Heart Month, cardiologists at Forrest General are excited about the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) program which the hospital began implementing in 2015.
Cardiologist, Robert Wilkins, MD, and Cardiovascular Surgeon, Carr McClain, MD, began exploring the procedure in 2013 at which time careful planning including training, education, staffing, and equipment needs began to take shape. The program became a reality with the TAVR team’s first case in February 2015.
“The TAVR procedure has been a life-saving technology for so many patients, because it opens up an opportunity for aortic valve replacement for patients who were not candidates for open heart surgery,” said Craig Chancellor, ACNP, Aortic Valve coordinator. “This milestone is a testament to the tremendous structural heart team we have in place at Forrest General and the quality of care we provide to South Mississippi.”
The TAVR procedure is ideal for patients with severe, symptomatic aortic valve stenosis and whose existing co-morbidities would not prevent the expected benefit from correction of the aortic stenosis. Aortic stenosis refers to the narrowing of the valve opening, which restricts blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. Aortic valve stenosis is one of the most common and most serious valve diseases.
The valve is delivered by a catheter-based approach without dividing the sternum or opening the chest or the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.
“For the implant procedure, our professionals consist of cardiovascular surgeons and team members, cardiologists and their teams, echocardiogram sonographers, radiology technologists, and anesthesiologists,” said Chancellor.
During the initial years only high-risk patients could be served. After proven success in this group, it moved on to intermittent risk and eventually low-risk patients.
“Through the years, TAVR, has become the first option for aortic valve replacement, in most cases, and not as an alternative,” Chancellor said. “In our first year, 34 valves were implanted. Each year, thereafter, the number of valve implants has continued to increase. During the last two years alone, we have performed between 160-185 valve implants.”
In August of 2023, the team implanted its 1,000th valve and within the next three months will surpass 1,100 heart valve implants.
“From a team standpoint, we continue to be excited and stay abreast about the new technologies in the heart valve spectrum,” Chancellor said. “We continue to lead the state in implants and the use of those technologies. Forrest General is one of a select number of sites currently offering this treatment. The ones we thank most and are sincerely grateful to are those early pioneer patients who were the high-risk group. Without them having the courage, TAVR would not be where it is today. Thanks to them, all patients with Severe Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis can be considered for TAVR.”
The team has served patients from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Meridian to Jackson, McComb to Waynesboro, Starkville, Atlanta, and portions of Alabama.
“For the talented physicians, there has been nothing more rewarding than moving the ball forward and keeping up with the ever-changing health-care technologies and treatment and being able to bring those advanced treatments to our patients and their families,” Chancellor said.
About Forrest General’s Cardiac Services
Forrest General’s Heart and Vascular Services delivers expert care from board-certified cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons. Services range from diagnostic testing, heart surgery and structural heart treatment to interventional cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation and vascular treatment. For more information, visit www.forrestgeneral.com/heart.
