Baylor Researcher Included in First Public Outcomes Report From Transcatheter Valve (TVT) Registry in Jama Medical Journal

Journal features transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes study

PLANO, Texas, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The first of its kind transcatheter heart valve therapy for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis showed positive results related to in-hospital mortality rate and stroke, according to research published in the Nov. 20 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Led locally, at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, by Michael J. Mack, MD, FACC, chairman of the hospital's Research Center, medical director of cardiovascular surgery at Baylor Health Care System and chair of the STS/ACC TVT Registry Steering Committee, the findings have been filed as the first public report to the transcatheter valve therapy (TVT) registry, a benchmarking tool that was developed to track TAVR safety and outcomes. The registry is a joint effort of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). 

Dr. Mack and researchers around the country studied 7,710 patients at 253 U.S. centers who underwent the TAVR procedure, including both inoperable and high-risk but operable cases. Among those, 92 percent experienced successful implantation of the TAVR device with an associated 5.5 percent mortality and 2 percent stroke rate.  While the overall results validate the outcomes reported in previous clinical trials, the study's authors note that long-term follow-up is important to continue reviewing the success indicators and potential global impact of the TAVR procedure.

"We are thrilled to share these initial, positive findings with the medical community," Dr. Mack said. "The insights we've gleaned from these outcomes will continue to help inform and enhanced treatment options of patients with aortic stenosis. Moving forward, we are encouraged by the clinical outcomes reported in the study as we continue to review the long-term efficacy and safety of the TAVR procedure."

Dr. Mack and his colleagues at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano have spent more than a decade focused on heart valve innovation to provide a safe treatment option to patients suffering from this life-threatening condition who are not surgical candidates.

If you are a patient, or are a family member of a patient suffering from severe aortic stenosis and are interested in learning more about transcatheter aortic valve replacement clinical trials, please contact The Heart Valve Center of Texas at 1.855.4CV.CARE (1-855-428-2273).

About The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano
The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, located in Plano, Texas, is a 116-bed, for-profit hospital affiliated with Baylor Health Care System. Recognized as the No. 1 Cardiovascular Specialty Hospital* in the country based on cardiac surgery volume, the hospital is the first and only freestanding, full-service hospital in North Texas dedicated solely to heart and vascular health care. The hospital is ranked in the top 10 in the nation for both cardiothoracic surgery and valve surgery volumes and in 2012-2013 was awarded the highest rating—three-stars from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. In addition, the hospital is a seven-time Press Ganey® Summit Award® recipient for patient satisfaction. For more information visit: www.TheHeartHospitalBaylor.com

About BRI
Established in 1984 in Dallas, Texas, Baylor Research Institute (BRI) promotes and supports research to bring innovative treatments from the laboratory workbench to the patient bedside. To achieve this bench-to-bedside concept, BRI focuses on basic science, clinical trials, health care effectiveness and quality of care research. Today, BRI is conducting more than 800 active research protocols with 250 research investigators, spanning more than 20 medical specialties, and has research and development projects in areas ranging from human immunology and orphan metabolic diseases to diabetes, cardio-vascular disease and many other unmet medical needs.

About Baylor Scott & White Health
Baylor Scott & White Health is a not-for-profit health care system with total assets of $8.3 billion* and the vision and resources to offer its patients continued quality care while creating a model system for a dramatically changing health care environment. The new system includes 43 hospitals, more than 500 patient care sites, more than 6,000 active physicians, 34,000 employees and the Scott & White Health Plan. For more information visit: www.BaylorScottandWhite.com

*based on unaudited fiscal year 2013 financial statements  

SOURCE Baylor Scott and White Health