Essentia Health-Fargo Celebrates 100th TAVR Procedure
Essentia Health-Fargo marked a major milestone on Monday with the completion of a 100th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The procedure is a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery for treating aortic stenosis. Essentia Health-Fargo began offering TAVR in August 2020.
“We are incredibly proud of this significant milestone, which has helped many in our community live longer and fuller lives,” said Dr. Alok Saurav, an Essentia Health interventional cardiologist. “This achievement would not have been possible without our incredible team here at Essentia. We’re grateful for the trust and faith placed in us by our patients as we champion this life-saving procedure.”
Aortic stenosis is a common heart valve disease. It is the thickening of the aortic valve opening that restricts normal blood flow to the entire body. If left untreated and unrepaired, it is potentially fatal. Patients who suffer from aortic stenosis often experience symptoms that can restrict normal day-to-day activities due to shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain or fatigue.
That was true in the case of Carol Albin, who arrived at Essentia Health with breathing problems and chose to proceed with TAVR after receiving a diagnosis of acute aortic stenosis. Carol’s procedure was a success, and she is now back on her feet, enjoying her favorite pastimes once again.
Watch Carol’s story here.
During a TAVR procedure, a tiny uninflated balloon is placed in an artery near the groin. The balloon is threaded up to the heart on a guide wire through a catheter. Once the balloon reaches the heart it is inflated to widen your narrowed aortic valve. This makes space for a new artificial valve to be placed inside the heart.
The benefits of TAVR include:
Shorter hospital stay and recovery time
Minimally invasive treatment
Life-saving option for high-risk patients
Find more information on TAVR, please click here.