TAVR Offers Hope for Cardiac Patients

The Heart Institute of Doylestown Hospital is one of only a select few to offer this revolutionary procedure to replace heart valves without open-heart surgery.

Doylestown Hospital physicians were among the first in the region earlier this year to perform an innovative procedure to replace diseased heart valves in the sickest of patients without open-heart surgery. It's called TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) and a multidisciplinary team of experts is giving appropriate patients a new lease on life.

The aorta is the main artery carrying blood out of the heart. As people age, calcium deposits can narrow the aortic valve and it may not open properly. This condition – called aortic stenosis -- generally affects older adults and may lead to heart failure. Symptoms include chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath, lightheadedness, fainting or difficulty when exercising.

Medications cannot adequately treat patients with significant aortic stenosis. TAVR is the only option to replace a damaged aortic valve for those patients who cannot have open-heart surgery.

"For patients who couldn't get out of a chair, couldn't walk 10 steps, they now have a chance at a normal lifestyle," says Jennifer Harrar, CRNP, Valve Clinic coordinator. The Heart Institute of Doylestown Hospital has built a leading program by staying current with the innovative technology and offering patients a range of important options.

With TAVR, as an alternative to open-heart surgery, patients experience impressive results.

TAVR Procedure

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