By Denise Moore
For many decades, patients with structural heart diseases could only be helped with open-heart surgery. Thanks to advancements in cardiac care, however, new options are now available for patients suffering from many types of heart disease.
Today, minimally invasive approaches designed to treat heart conditions can offer alternatives to traditional open surgeries. Structural heart specialists can replace heart valves and repair structural heart defects without the large incisions used in standard open-heart surgery. These small incision surgeries and “transcatheter” procedures are less invasive and often result in less pain, less scarring and a shorter recovery period.
Structural heart disease refers to defects in the valves, or walls of the heart chambers. The term also encompasses conditions that one is born with, acquired by injury, infection or developed over time by aging. Structural heart conditions may include:
• Aortic valve stenosis
• Aortic insufficiency
• Mitral valve regurgitation.
• Tricuspid valve regurgitation
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Holes in the heart, including atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO)
Additionally, arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation may have structural heart implications because they can lead to blood clots forming within the left atrial appendage of the heart.
Recognizing the need for more advanced treatment options, The Robson Heart & Vascular Institute at Jupiter Medical Center created a dedicated Structural Heart Program. Led by William Kokotos, M.D., a pioneer in structural heart procedures, his addition to the hospital’s heart center further expands the treatment options for patients with heart disease. Dr. Kokotos was Chief of Cardiac Surgery at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island (NYULH-LI) prior to his tenure at Jupiter Medical Center. He initiated and directed the program that performed the first commercial percutaneous mitral valve repair on Long Island, NY.
Under Dr. Kokotos’ direction, specialists at Jupiter Medical Center recently introduced innovative alternatives for patients suffering from life threatening or life altering cardiac issues including:
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR): This minimally invasive procedure treats patients diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis. During the procedure a catheter is inserted via an artery. The catheter is used to place a new valve within the diseased valve. Once the new valve is secure, the catheter is removed. The replacement valve takes over for the diseased valve and helps regulate blood flow from the heart.
MITRACLIPTM : This is a percutaneous minimally invasive procedure to treat a leaking mitral valve. It is used as an alternative for the high-risk patient, rather than undergoing traditional open cardiac surgical intervention. This is a catheter-based procedure that is performed from the groin.
WATCHMANTM: The WATCHMANTM procedure offers an alternative for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who need an alternative to blood thinners. The WATCHMANTM implant is designed to close the heart’s left atrial appendage. The device permanently reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation related stroke. Atrial fibrillation is the most common cause of stroke as we get older.
TAVR, MITRACLIPTM and WATCHMANTM are just some of the revolutionary cardiac procedures at Jupiter Medical Center. Additional structural heart procedures include:
• Transcatheter mitral valve replacement
• Minimally invasive surgical valve repair or replacement
• Percutaneous closure of Atrial Septal Defects/Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) Closure
• Balloon valvuloplasty
• Minimally invasive treatments for atrial fibrillation. Convergent procedure
• Minimally invasive treatments to prevent thrombotic complications associated with atrial fibrillation. These treatments include the watchman device and thoracoscopic ligation of the left atrial appendage.
• Alcohol septal ablation
Patients suffering from cardiac conditions should talk to their doctor about their individual diagnosis and treatments that may be right for them. Jupiter Medical Center’s Valve Clinic evaluates patients to determine the most appropriate treatment options.
To speak to the Valve Clinic Coordinator, call (561) 263-3767. For more information, visit jupitermed.com.