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BayCare’s Morton Plant Hospital is the first hospital in Florida to offer patients access to a newly FDA-approved transcatheter treatment for symptomatic, severe aortic regurgitation. Morton Plant Hospital, part of BayCare, the region’s largest academic health system, was one of 30 sites nationwide that participated in clinical trials that advanced this innovative treatment. The approach was designed for patients who historically had few minimally invasive options.
The milestone builds on the experience of Morton Plant Hospital’s structural heart and valve program, which introduced transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures to the Tampa Bay area in 2012 for patients with aortic stenosis, a condition that causes the heart’s aortic valve to thicken or narrow. The program now offers the only TAVR system FDA approved for aortic regurgitation.
In aortic stenosis, the valve does not fully open, restricting blood flow. In aortic regurgitation, the valve does not close tightly, causing the blood to leak backward.
During a TAVR procedure, cardiovascular surgeons place a new aortic heart valve inside the original valve using a catheter guided to the heart from an artery, usually in the groin. While TAVR has helped many patients avoid open-heart surgery, people with aortic regurgitation have often not been candidates because their valves typically lack the calcium or scar tissue needed to secure the replacement valve.
For patients living with aortic regurgitation, everyday activities can become increasingly difficult. Many experience fatigue and shortness of breath as the heart weakens over time, and a progressively weakening heart, which can lead to heart failure if left untreated.
The new TAVR option uses advanced positioning technology to place a new valve inside the leaking valve, ensuring precise alignment and stability. For patients with severe aortic regurgitation, it offers a less invasive treatment option that may relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
“I believe this new TAVR system will be a game changer for our patients suffering from aortic regurgitation,” said Joshua Rovin, MD, FACS, cardiovascular surgeon and medical director of Morton Plant Hospital's structural heart and valve program. “Many of our patients are not candidates for open heart surgery. Now we can offer them a viable option for a return to the life they had.”
Earlier this year, Morton Plant Hospital was also the first in Florida to use a newly FDA-approved valve-in-valve, or second replacement, TAVR device for aortic stenosis.
The Trilogy® Transcatheter Heart Valve System by JenaValve Technology, Inc. received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in March. BayCare participated in JenaValve’s ALIGN-AR trial, helping advance the first approved transcatheter treatment option in the United States for eligible patients with symptomatic, severe aortic regurgitation.
St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute in Tampa and Winter Haven Hospital’s Bostick Heart Center in Winter Haven also offer structural heart programs, giving patients across the region access to advanced heart care close to home.
For more information: BayCare Structural Heart and Valve Care
