Morton Plant Hospital Performs 1000th TAVR Surgery

TAVR, a minimally invasive heart valve replacement surgery, was originally used for patients with severe aortic stenosis who were not candidates for open heart valve replacement surgery. In the past few years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approval of TAVR to those patients at intermediate risk of complications from open heart surgery.

"This surgical milestone is more than a number. We are proud of the patients and families we have served," said Joshua Rovin, MD, FACS, cardiovascular surgeon and medical director, Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care at Morton Plant Hospital. "Over the past six years, since we performed the first TAVR surgery at Morton Plant Hospital, we have given hope to countless individuals suffering from severe aortic stenosis who had no other hope for an improved quality of life."

Morton Plant's TAVR team includes cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists who work together to determine the best medical or surgical options for each patient.

"Our team's level of expertise has given us opportunities to participate in numerous clinical trials, which benefits our patients by allowing us to offer them the latest technology," said John Ofenloch, MD, cardiovascular surgeon and chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Morton Plant Hospital. "We remain committed to providing our community with the excellent care they deserve."

Aortic stenosis is a disease process that affects the aortic valve. In late stages of the disease, the valve does not open and close properly. This causes the heart to work harder to push blood through the calcified aortic valve. Eventually the heart's muscles weaken, increasing the patient's risk of heart failure. The disease is debilitating for patients to the point that it interferes with everyday activities.

Additional disorders treated by the center include pulmonary stenosis, mitral stenosis, aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation. Depending on the severity of disease and other factors, patient treatment options may include medical management, minimally invasive valve repair, minimally invasive valve replacement such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR), or open heart surgery.

"Over the past six years, we have seen so many patients and families express immense gratitude for the way TAVR has changed their lives," said Lang Lin, MD, an interventional cardiologist and member of the Morton Plant Hospital Valve Clinic team. "As physicians, our goal is to never take that for granted. We continually improve our knowledge and skills to always offer our patients the best treatment options."

About the Morton Plant Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care
The Morton Plant Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care is a multi-disciplinary team including cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, and cardiac anesthesiologists focused on working together to determine the best medical or surgical options for each patient. The team was the first in the Tampa Bay area to perform the TAVR procedure in February 2012. The Center is part of the many heart and vascular services provided at Morton Plant Hospital, an award-winning Truven Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital that has received the Society of Thoracic Surgeon's highest level of recognition, a three-star rating. 

To better serve patients and their families in St. Petersburg and south Pinellas County, a satellite Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery office has opened at St. Anthony's Hospital. Staffed by BayCare's leading board-certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons who are part of Morton Plant's valve center team, the outpatient heart surgery clinic evaluates patients and guides them through the testing process. If surgery is needed, the St. Anthony's clinic will help patients through that process and surgical procedures will be performed at Morton Plant Hospital.

Additional disorders treated by the center include pulmonary stenosis, mitral stenosis, aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation. Depending on the severity of disease and other factors, patient treatment options may include medical management, minimally invasive valve repair, minimally invasive valve replacement such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR), or open heart surgery. Visit the Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care at Morton Plant Hospital or call 855-448-2583.

About Morton Plant Hospital
Since 1916, Morton Plant Hospital has been committed to improving the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. Our 687-bed hospital is proud to offer nationally recognized care delivered in more than 50 specialty areas. Morton Plant Hospital offers innovative, accessible, and quality services to provide our community with a lifetime of compassionate, convenient care. For more information, call (727) 953-6877, or visit us on Facebook or at 300 Pinellas St., Clearwater, Fla.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE Morton Plant Hospital

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