Last week at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Dr. J Trevor Posenau was the first in Richmond to deploy the next generation Sapien 3 Ultra TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement). This valve was approved in August 2019 for the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis at low or greater risk for open-heart surgery. Dr. Sameer Rohatgi was the first to implant the valve at the brand-new TAVR program at Memorial Regional Medical Center.
“It is exciting to be part of the team that was one of the first in Richmond to deploy a next generation valve for the treatment of aortic stenosis through Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement or TAVR. Our physicians are at the cutting edge of treating structural heart disease with access to the latest devices for TAVR and transcatheter mitral valve repair or mitraclip. We are excited to be able to provide these emerging technologies to improve outcomes for our patients in the community setting,” J Trevor Posenau, MD
In elderly patients, aortic stenosis is sometimes caused by the buildup of calcium on the aortic valve’s leaflets. Over time, the leaflets become stiff, which reduces their ability to fully open and close. When the leaflets don’t work as they should the heart must work harder to push blood through the aortic valve to the rest of the body. Approximately 2.5 million people in the United States over the age of 75 suffer from this disease. Severe aortic stenosis is often life-threatening and treatment is critical to long-time survival.
To learn more about the VCS Structural Heart program click here.
Published September 11, 2020