Health News For South West
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
London Health Sciences Centre
LHSC first in Canada to perform new approach for aortic valve implantation
The heart team at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is the first in Canada to perform a new surgical technique available to very select and complex patients whose arterial vessels are inaccessible due to calcified or narrowed arteries. The goal of the procedure is to restore normal blood flow through the heart and the rest of the body and reduce paravalvular leakage around the valve.
The transcaval approach to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is performed through the femoral vein, near the groin, rather than the femoral artery or through a chest incision. "For some patients, the severity of their heart disease means there are limited treatment options available to them. This new catheter-based approach gives them an option they otherwise would not have," says Dr. Rodrigo Bagur, interventional cardiologist, LHSC.
Performed in March, the transcaval TAVI approach allows access to the diseased aortic valve through the femoral vein by creating a temporary passage from the veins to the aorta. The collapsed replacement valve is moved through the vein and inferior vena cava and then crossed over into the abdominal aorta where it is guided to the aortic valve. Constrast-enhanced CT scans are taken before the procedure to assess patient's suitability for this procedure and help guide the surgeon's path through the patients anatomy.
William (Walt) Snider, 78, from Sarnia Ontario, the first Canadian patient to undergo this new catheter-based technique had been suffering from shortness of breath and fatigue for a few years. A former truck driver, his heart condition impeded his quality of life and limited his ability to play with his grandchildren or woodwork.
"We could not have performed the traditional approaches through Walt's chest or peripheral vessels because his arteries were too calcified and narrowed and there was a concern that his lung capacity would have dangerously diminished due to his preexisting lunch condition," adds Dr. Michael Chu, cardiac surgeon, LHSC.
Walking the day after his surgery, Snider spend Easter Weekend at the hospital with visits from his wife, daughter and granddaughter and was discharged shortly after the long weekend and just before his birthday. "I'm looking forward to a bit of traveling with my wife, Barbara. I feel lucky and I'm grateful for the excellent care I've received."
Media Contact:
Marek Kubow
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext 75155
marek.kubow@lhsc.on.ca
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