Performs First-of-a-Kind Transcatheter Valve for Aortic Stenosis
Cooper University Hospital’s renowned Heart Institute is again at the forefront of cardiovascular care, performing the implantation of the first percutaneous aortic valve in New Jersey. Cooper was recently selected as one of the initial sites in the United States to implant the groundbreaking technology, the Edwards Sapien Percutaneous Heart Valve. This FDA approved technology offers a treatment option for patients unable to undergo valve surgery and is expected to transform the treatment of aortic stenosis and aortic valve disease. Aortic valve disease affects nearly 300,000 people annually in the United States, and Cooper is the only site in southern New Jersey offering this innovative therapy. The Sapien valve is one of the advanced therapeutic options available at the new, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary Cooper Heart Valve Center.
“The transcatheter valve is the kind of innovation that comes along once in a generation, and will significantly alter how aortic disease is managed,” says Joseph E. Parrillo, MD, Chief of Medicine and Director of the Cooper Heart Institute. “It is a testament to the excellence of our physicians and surgeons that Cooper was the only cardiac center in southern New Jersey selected to use this revolutionary technology. Cooper was chosen in part because of our outstanding teamwork when performing heart procedures,” adds Dr. Parrillo. “Our cardiology groups, Cooper University Cardiology and Cardiovascular Associates of the Delaware Valley (CADV), our cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, and nurses all closely collaborate to provide the finest care to each patient.”
Aortic stenosis, severe valve narrowing, is the most common form of valvular disease, and its incidence is increasing as the population ages. It is estimated however, that only 27 percent of the patients suffering from aortic stenosis undergo surgery. Patients are often excluded from consideration for surgical aortic valve repair due to a combination of co-existing conditions including: advanced age; and pulmonary, cerebral vascular or renal disease. Medical management for advanced aortic valve disease is largely ineffective, with a nearly 50 percent mortality within two years of the onset of symptoms.
The innovative transcatheter or percutaneous approach will provide a proven valve repair treatment option for this patient population. Results from the acclaimed international PARTNER trial demonstrated an overall decrease in mortality of 20 percent in the first year for patients undergoing transcatheter valve treatment.
Deployment of the ground-breaking percutaneous valve will be performed in Cooper University Hospital’s state-of-the-art hybrid operating room. The $3 million suite combines advanced imaging technology and facilities that allow the multi-disciplinary team of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and cardiologists specializing in echocardiographic interpretation,to perform the delicate implantation procedure.
Minimally Invasive Valve Experts
The Sapien Percutaneous Heart Valve will be only one of the options in the valve repair and replacement treatment arsenal at the Cooper Heart Valve Center. Cooper has the largest volume of cardiothoracic surgeries in South Jersey, and more than 40 percent of that volume is attributed to valve procedures. Of those procedures, 95 percent of aortic valve replacement surgeries, and two-thirds of mitral valve procedures, are performed minimally invasively. Cooper cardiovascular surgery maintains exceptional valve procedure outcome statistics, reporting no mortality for mitral valve repairs in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
“The critical issues in performing minimally invasive valve surgery are: avoiding sternotomy, and not compromising implant valve size when performing the procedure using minimal access,” says Michael Rosenbloom, MD, Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cooper. “In aortic replacement procedures, that means getting the largest size prosthesis through the smallest incision and in mitral valve repairs it means being able to successfully repair the heart valve.”
Dr. Rosenbloom believes that it is the unparalleled experience and expertise of the cardiothoracic surgical team, cardiac anesthesia and cardiology at Cooper that allows the program to successfully
perform the majority of cases via a minimally invasive approach.
“Many cardiac surgery programs claim that their aortic valve replacement procedures are performed minimally invasively, when in fact they are performing a limited sternotomy that is not a true minimal-access procedure,” says Dr. Rosenbloom. “At Cooper, we are able to perform cases with a non-sternotomy approach that dramatically lowers complication rates and results in less pain, and a more rapid recovery.”
Cooper Heart Valve Center
Established to provide a regional center of excellence for valve disease care, the Cooper Heart Valve Center provides a comprehensive assessment and management algorithm tailored to the individual needs of the patient with aortic, mitral, pulmonic, or tricuspid disease. A one-time consultation visit provides access to the multi-disciplinary team of cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and physician assistants. This consultation offers an assessment of medical, interventional, and surgical options including transcatheter valve procedures and minimally invasive approaches. After consultation, the patient is returned to the referring physician with a detailed plan of care, and access to the most advanced treatment modalities available in the field.
To view photo gallery and videos of first case, visit cooperhealth.org/sapien. For more information about the new transcatheter valve, the Cooper Heart Valve Center, or to refer a patient for consultation, please call: 856.296.6516.