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Maimonides Celebrates Its 100th TAVR Procedure

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Left to right: Dr. Greg Crooke, Cardiothoracic Surgeon; Dr. Steven Konstadt, Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology; Ms. Giovannina DiPaolo, 100th TAVR patient; Dr. Mark Kronenfeld, Vice Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology; and Dr. Paul Saunders, Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

Maimonides Medical Center was among the nation’s first hospitals to offer Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), and just recently, our cardiac experts performed the Center’s 100th TAVR procedure.

“Only a handful of Heart Centers in the nation are able to provide this option for heart valve patients,” said Dr. Jacob Shani, Chair of Cardiology and co-leader of the TAVR Program at the Maimonides Heart & Vascular Center. “Our team of experts is unrivaled in exploring and developing the best therapies for cardiac problems.”

The Patient’s Journey

Over the past couple of years, Ms. Giovannina DiPaolo began finding it difficult to enjoy her usual outings, whether it be a walk to the avenue to do her marketing, or a weekend trip to Atlantic City. These difficulties were due to her recently developed heart valve condition, the only health problem faced by this otherwise active and independent 93 year-old. Ms. DiPaolo was the perfect candidate for a TAVR procedure.

“For patients like Ms. DiPaolo, the TAVR procedure is a real game changer,” explained Dr. Frankel. “And performing our 100th TAVR procedure is a great milestone for the team – we’ve helped so many people regain a quality of life they thought was gone for good.”

After the successful procedure, Ms. DiPaolo and her daughters expressed their appreciation. As Mary Barrett said: “My mother was fit and active all of her life thanks to her home-cooking and Mediterranean diet. She can’t wait to get back to walking to the market daily. We’re so grateful to the cardiac team here at Maimonides.”

About the TAVR Procedure

TAVR is an innovative approach to the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening). Instead of standard open-heart surgery, a catheter is placed in the femoral artery and the valve is replaced without surgical incisions in the chest.

“TAVR is minimally invasive, with all the benefits that implies,” said Dr. Greg Ribakove, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and co-leader of the TAVR Program at Maimonides. “This is clearly the best option for certain patients who cannot undergo open-heart surgery.”

In clinical trials, TAVR has been shown to significantly improve survival compared to non-surgical therapy. It also significantly improves symptoms and quality-of-life, and reduces repeat hospitalizations compared to medical therapy. The TAVR approach is approved by the FDA for patients who have severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and who are not eligible for open-heart surgery.

The specialists at the Maimonides Heart & Vascular Center partner with referring doctors, patients and their families in exploring the most appropriate treatments for each case. Few hospitals in the nation rival its success in the treatment of cardiac disease. In fact, according to the latest report from the federal government, Maimonides is among only 25 hospitals in the US to achieve outstanding patient outcomes for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.

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