Health
Houston Methodist The Woodlands now offers two Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Options
THE WOODLANDS, TX – Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital now offers two options for transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). Specialists with Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center successfully performed the procedure in multiple cases during the last month, taking a critical step forward in providing the community with advanced cardiovascular care.
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure to correct aortic valve stenosis, a narrowing of the valve that obstructs blood flow and can lead to chest pain, exercise intolerance, heart failure, and premature death. The procedure involves replacing the narrowed valve with an artificial one – without opening the chest cavity or stopping the heart.
“This technique is a giant step forward in improving patient experience and recovery,” said Dr. Lucas Duvall, cardiothoracic surgeon at Houston Methodist The Woodlands. “We are able to access and treat the diseased valve through a catheter placed in one of multiple possible arteries, allowing us to safely treat a greater number of patients.”
TAVR is as safe as open-heart surgery and, in many cases, is now the best treatment option. Using an artificial valve made of metal alloy and animal tissue, it can improve survival and quality of life in people who are unable to withstand major surgery.
Dr. Devang Parikh, a structural heart specialist at Houston Methodist The Woodlands, teamed up with Duvall to perform the hospital’s first two procedures. Parikh joined Houston Methodist The Woodlands just last fall to help lead the hospital’s valve program. This leadership and growing program enables patients to receive their preoperative care and surgery on the campus.
“It is a huge achievement to offer two devices, so that we can tailor care for each individual patient,” Parikh said.
Sam Sakhleh, 75, of Spring, was the first person to have the TAVR procedure at Houston Methodist The Woodlands. Today, he is well on his road to recovery.
“I feel like a new person,” Sakhleh said. “Seeing the way other countries practice medicine through my business travels has given me a deep appreciation for my doctors and Houston Methodist The Woodlands. I am so blessed as a retiree to have a world-class facility with tier one doctors in my backyard.”
To learn more about the TAVR program, visit www.houstonmethodist.org/debakey/woodlands.
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital is committed to leading medicine in Montgomery County and the north Houston region by delivering the Houston Methodist standard of exceptional safety, quality, service and innovation. The growing campus offers 187 beds and access to the most innovative care available including comprehensive cancer care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, cardiology, emergency care and advanced imaging. Houston Methodist The Woodlands is recognized as a comprehensive stroke center and an orthopedic center of excellence by DNV GL Health Care; and designated as a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit. In 2019, the hospital broke ground on a $250 million dollar expansion project that will add 100 beds and expand the emergency center, heart center, endoscopy center and childbirth center. The project will be completed in early 2022.
For more information on Houston Methodist The Woodlands campus, please visit houstonmethodist.org/thewoodlands. To find a physician, call 936.270.3333
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