Joseph Borgese, the 1,000th TAVR patient at Cooper, with his Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira heart team, from left to right, Simon K. Topalian, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist; Amy Petrini, BSN, RN, PCCN, Cardiology Clinical Director; Jeremy Witcher, RN; and Tara Jones, RN, BSN, Structural Heart Nurse Navigator.
The multidisciplinary team from the Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira Structural Heart Disease Program performed the 1,000th TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) procedure earlier this year. The patient was Joseph Borgese, 71, of Mantua.
“This represents a major milestone and the culmination of many years of training and experience for the Structural Heart Program and team since the TAVR program started in 2012,” said Philip A. Koren, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Medical Director of the Cooper Heart Institute, part of Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira. “Cooper continues to have one of the most innovative and experienced TAVR teams in the region.”
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure that allows for the replacement of an aortic valve that is damaged as a result of aortic stenosis. The patient receives a new valve without the need for open heart surgery. During the TAVR procedure, a catheter is used to feed an artificial valve through an artery in the groin or the chest to the heart. Once placed in the correct position, the artificial valve is opened, and it begins to function immediately.
The multidisciplinary team, which includes cardiologists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, nurses, and technicians work together to assess patients and perform the TAVR procedure. They use a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room that offers the advanced imaging technology and facilities that are needed for this delicate implant procedure. Cooper has per formed more TAVR procedures than any other hospital in southern New Jersey.
Meet Our New Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira Team Member
Mario R. Caruso, DO
Mario Caruso, DO, a Clinical Cardiologist, joins Cooper from the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, PA, where he completed his fellowship in cardiovascular disease. Dr. Caruso has a special interest in sports cardiology, providing cardiac evaluation, risk assessment, and guidance for return to sports for adult athletes at all levels, most recently with athletes diagnosed with COVID-19. Dr. Caruso is accepting new patient appointments in our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.