Morton Plant Hospital is First in Florida to Participate in TMVR Pivotal Trial

CLEARWATER, Fla., (July 2, 2018) -- On June 28, doctors at Morton Plant Hospital became the first in Florida to treat a patient in the APOLLO Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) Pivotal Trial. TMVR is a minimally invasive potential alternative to conventional open-heart mitral-valve surgery for patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation.

 
Mitral valve regurgitation occurs when blood flows backward through the mitral valve and into the atrium each time the left ventricle contracts because the mitral valve doesn’t close properly. If left untreated, mitral valve regurgitation can lead to declining heart function and heart failure.
 
“Mitral Valve Regurgitation affects an estimated four-million people, and the only option for those who suffer has been open-heart surgery, which isn’t an option to many,” said Lang Lin, MD, interventional cardiologist and co-principal investigator. “This trial holds great promise for those individuals.”
 
“Our specialized team of physicians continually seeks to bring the most advanced heart treatments to our patients in the Tampa Bay area,” said Joshua Rovin, MD, FACS, cardiovascular surgeon and medical director, Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care at Morton Plant Hospital and co-principal investigator. “The early outcomes of this trial study have been encouraging, and we are looking forward to offering this alternative to open-heart surgery to patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation.”
 
Morton Plant Hospital, known for its excellence in heart care, has been selected as one of up to 60 sites in the United States and around the world to participate in this trial study.
 
The APOLLO Trial will evaluate the Intrepid valve as a potential alternative to conventional open-heart surgery. During the TMVR surgery, the Intrepid valve is compressed inside a hollow tube and inserted between the ribs to enter the heart. The Intrepid valve features a dual stent design. The inner stent houses the valve, which is expanded within the mitral valve to help restore normal blood flow through the heart and to the rest of the body. The outer stent secures the implant within the diseased mitral valve.
 
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 and recently performed its 1000th TAVR procedure. 
 
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. 
 
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. 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 Hospitaloffers 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.