Washington Hospital Cardiac Services Celebrates Milestone

There has been revolutionary change in aortic heart valve replacements over the past two decades. Now, open-heart surgery can be avoided and eligible patients in need of a new heart valve can instead undergo a minimally invasive procedure. Washington Hospital brought this medical breakthrough to its patients in Fremont. This week, the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) team at Washington Hospital performed its 100th TAVR procedure. This milestone case continues an exceptional track record for the Hospital’s TAVR team and its patients.

“Last year, once again, our TAVR program resulted in zero mortalities, zero significant cardiac events and zero device complications. We have a 100% survival rate since we began performing TAVR procedures at Washington Hospital Healthcare System (WHHS) in 2021,” said Washington Hospital’s Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery and a professor of surgery at UCSF, Ramin Beygui, MD.

Dr. Beygui and his colleague, Teng Chun Lee, MD, are renowned cardiothoracic surgeons who have performed hundreds of TAVR procedures since the technique came to the U.S. in the mid-2000s. Now, they are part of a multidisciplinary TAVR team at WHHS that includes structural cardiologist Harsh Agrawal, MD, and the patient’s referring cardiologist. Each TAVR candidate is evaluated and their case is reviewed by the team so they can be scheduled quickly. And when needed, critically ill hospitalized patients in need of a new aortic valve can undergo the TAVR procedure in an expedited manner.

TAVR is for people with aortic stenosis or narrowing of the valve caused by calcium buildup that obstructs the flow of oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Symptoms include heart murmur and activity-induced chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and fainting. Untreated, it can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.

TAVR is innovative because the new valve is inserted via the femoral artery through a small cut in the groin area instead of traditional 4- to 6-hour open-heart surgery where the chest is opened, the heart is stopped, and a heart-lung bypass machine is used. TAVR patients generally recover much quicker and experience less pain, blood loss, and chance of infection or other complications. Patients feel immediate relief after this 2-hour procedure and can usually go home the next day, instead of spending several days in a critical care unit.

In some cases, a valve-in-valve TAVR procedure can be performed, which means a replacement valve that has degenerated can be shored up with a new replacement valve placed inside it. Drs. Beygui and Agrawal performed the Bay Area’s first valve-in-valveTAVR procedure last year, inserting a new valve inside two previously installed biosynthetic valves.

“Washington Hospital is proud of its 40-year history of cardiac surgery, added Dr. Beygui, “Because of our affiliation with UCSF, Washington Hospital is able to provide its patients with a full-range of advanced cardiac services and procedures. Here, we can duplicate the best outcomes usually only found at major academic medical centers.”

In addition to their team of specialized cardiac doctors, WHHS patients benefit from experienced cardiac anesthesiologists in the operating room and are cared for 24/7 by an intensivist overseeing their recovery in the Critical Care unit. Patients also appreciate the convenience of attending appointments and having their procedure close to home, making it easy for their family members to bring them and visit during their stay.

“Performing our 100th TAVR procedure is just one example of our ongoing efforts to bring the most current cardiac technologies and techniques to the patients of Washington Hospital,” concluded Dr. Beygui. “Our team of UCSF cardiothoracic surgeons and Washington Township Medical Foundation heart doctors work closely with referring cardiologists to treat all forms of cardiac artery and valvular disease. We offer a comprehensive range of traditional open surgeries and when possible, minimally invasive endovascular procedures. When more complex surgeries are needed, such as heart and lung transplants, we handle those cases with our colleagues at UCSF.”

For more information about TAVR and Washington Hospital Cardiac Services, visit whhs.com/heart