The Oklahoma Heart Institute at Hillcrest Medical Center opened the first and only dedicated hybrid cardiac cath lab in the region in May 2012. This hybrid lab allows for seamless integration of a traditional catheterization lab and cardiac operating room to provide multidisciplinary, collaborative care. Physicians can perform advanced procedures that would otherwise not be possible.
The Hybrid Lab wasn't designed with state-of-the-art equipment from Skytron and Philips.
On Wednesday, May 2, a team of Oklahoma Heart Institute (OHI) physicians performed the first successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in Tulsa.
TAVR is a minimally invasive, life-saving procedure for patients with aortic stenosis who would be considered too high a risk for traditional open heart procedures.
Aortic stenosis affects the aortic valve. In late stages of the disease, the valve does not properly open and close, causing the heart to work harder to push blood through the calcified aortic valve. Eventually, the heart's muscles weaken, increasing the patient's risk of heart failure and death.
During this groundbreaking procedure, the Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2011, was used to replace the patient's failing heart valve through catheters placed in the femoral (groin) artery.
The transcatheter aortic valve replacement was performed in Oklahoma Heart Institute’s newly constructed hybrid cardiac catherization lab, designed especially for performing complex heart procedures.
"Oklahoma Heart Institute has joined an elite group of hospitals offering the TAVR procedure," said Dr. Kamran Muhammad. "At OHI, our mission is to provide cutting-edge, high-quality cardiovascular care to our patients and TAVR is another example of our commitment to this mission."
Hybrid Surgical Lab Nurses and Surgical Specialist
OHI is the first hospital in Tulsa, and the second in Oklahoma, to offer TAVR. For more information on transcatheter aortic valve replacement, visit www.edwards.com. To learn more about Oklahoma Heart Institute, please visit www.oklahomaheart.com.