HackensackUMC is the Only Hospital in New Jersey to Perform Groundbreaking Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Replacement Procedure Via Transapical Delivery

New Procedure Provides Lifesaving Treatment For Previously Inoperable Patients

HACKENSACK, N.J., Dec. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hackensack University Medical Center is the only hospital in New Jersey performing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) via both transfemoral and  transapical delivery. The transapical delivery method is a minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves through a small incision in the chest.  Hackensack University Medical Center was the first hospital in Northern New Jersey to offer TAVR and the first hospital in New Jersey to be approved for both transapical TAVR and transfemoral TAVR.  

The TAVR procedure represents a revolutionary lifesaving technology for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at prohibitive risk for open heart surgery and have no alternative treatment option. For patients who have leg arteries that are too small for the transfemoral approach, the transapical TAVR is implanted through a small incision under the left breast between the ribs in order to implant the valve in the heart. The Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart (THV) valve is the only approved transcatheter valve available in the United States and HackensackUMC remains the only hospital in Northern New Jersey, Rockland, Orange, Westchester and Hudson counties to be fully approved to implant the device. 

The first transapical TAVR surgery was performed by Dr. Jock McCullough and Dr. Elie Elmann of Cardiac Surgery with Dr. Thomas Cocke and Dr. Pranaychndra Vaidya of interventional cardiology at HackensackUMC on November 2.

"I would like to congratulate the physicians of the integrated heart team at HackensackUMC who bring more than 70 years of combined experience to each case," said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Health Network. "We are thrilled that such an innovative and essential service was introduced to the region at HackensackUMC. TAVR represents a revolutionary technology for patients who previously had no alternative treatment option and it has been an incredible opportunity for our physicians to provide new hope for these individuals."

HackensackUMC was able to move ahead with the cutting-edge transapical procedure after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently expanded the approved indication for the Edwards SAPIEN THV to include patients with aortic valve stenosis who are eligible for surgery, but who are at high risk for serious surgical complications or death.

"It has been a privilege to be a part of this groundbreaking surgery at HackensackUMC," said Dr. McCullough. "The FDA approval of the transapical procedure has allowed our team to treat even more patients who were previously considered inoperable. As the patient population continues to expand, the transapical procedure will play an increasingly integral role in saving lives that may have otherwise been lost."

Approximately 250,000 people in the United States suffer from severe aortic stenosis. Aortic valve stenosis is the medical term for a narrowing of the aortic valve that prevents the valve from functioning properly. The condition can lead to fainting, chest pain, heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, or cardiac arrest.  These patients tend to be elderly with deteriorating medical conditions, and are often ineligible for traditional open-heart surgery. For these patients there is no effective, long-term treatment option to prevent or delay their disease progression. Without treatment, half of these patients die within an average of two years.

"We are thrilled at the groundbreaking work being done by the physicians of the integrated heart team at HackensackUMC. The cutting-edge advancements in cardiovascular care are opening doors for patients who previously had no viable treatment option," said Dr. Joseph Parrillo, Chairman of the Heart & Vascular Hospital at HackensackUMC. "Our world class physicians are working tirelessly every day to advance treatment options and improve quality of life for our patients."

About Hackensack University Medical Center
HackensackUMC, a non-profit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, New Jersey, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state, and home to the only Level II Trauma Center in the county. This 775-bed facility has gone beyond traditional thinking by creating an entire campus of care, including: the Heart & Vascular Hospital, the John Theurer Cancer Center, the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, and the Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital. As a result of using science and creativity to push medicine further, HackensackUMC was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey and one of the top four New York metro area hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report, and has received nine national rankings in: Cancer; Cardiology & Heart Surgery; Ear, Nose & Throat; Gastroenterology; Geriatrics; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Orthopedics; Urology; and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital ranked as one of the Top 25 Best Children's Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery in the 2012-13 Best Children's Hospitals list. The medical center has also been named one of the Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals® and one of America's 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades®. It is listed among the Leapfrog Top Hospitals List, received 18 Gold Seals of Approval™ by the Joint Commission, and is listed as one of the 50 Best Hospitals in America by Becker's Hospital Review. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence. The medical center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls, and remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events. To learn more about one of the nation's 50 best hospitals, visit: www.HackensackUMC.org.   

SOURCE Hackensack University Medical Center