Includes valve technology used for the first time on LI and NYC

Physicians at the Stony Brook Heart Institute Valve Center have expanded the array of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) approaches with two innovative techniques for treating patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve opening, affects up to 20 percent of older Americans. AS can lead to significant heart problems. For those with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, the mortality rate within a year can go as high as 50 percent if left untreated.

Stony Brook Heart Institute’s new treatment options offer these potential benefits to patients:

• More precise procedures. Building on the existing family of TAVR treatment approaches, Evolut FX, the fourth and latest-generation of the Evolut™ TAVR System Medtronic self-expanding valve technology, is designed to provide physicians with greater ease of use, precision and control throughout the procedure—leading to overall more predictable, deliverable and precise TAVR procedures. On October 5, 2022, the specially-trained Stony Brook TAVR team completed their first FX system procedure.
• Reduced wear of the valve. A new type of transcatheter tissue valve, the Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA™ valve, has the potential to improve valve longevity and reduce the need for reintervention by using enhanced calcium-blocking technology to help reduce calcification and the wear of the valve. On November 2, 2022, the first procedure using the SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA™ valve for an aortic valve replacement was performed by the Stony Brook TAVR team. On the same day, the SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA™ valve was used in an intervention procedure to replace a failed surgical mitral valve. Procedures using the SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA™ valve at Stony Brook were the first on Long Island and in NYC to be performed using this type of valve technology.

For three years in a row (2021-2023), Stony Brook has been named a Five-Star Recipient for Valve Surgery by Healthgrades, the first organization in the country to rate hospital quality based on actual clinical outcomes. The TAVR team is led by cardiovascular surgeon, Henry Tannous, MD, Co-Director, Stony Brook Heart Institute, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Surgical Director, Structural Heart Program; Smadar Kort, MD, Director, Valve Center and Director, Interventional Echocardiography; and interventional cardiologists Robert Pyo, MD, Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Director, Structural Heart Disease Program, and Puja Parikh, MD, Director, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Program.

“Many of our patients diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis will, now, based on their individual preferences and discussion with their heart team, be able to opt for the most innovative, minimally invasive method of aortic valve replacement that best ensures their safety and outcomes,” shares Dr. Tannous. “It is an exciting and transformative time both for patients and the medical community, alike.”

“Our TAVR clinicians now have more ways to provide quality care that is customizable to the patient’s needs,” says Dr. Pyo. “Our ever-growing TAVR program continues to raise the bar for cardiac care on Long Island and we are proud to provide our community with the full array of the most comprehensive aortic stenosis diagnostics and treatments under one roof.”

“Our TAVR program is patient-focused in every aspect, from patient selection to procedure planning to treatment and postoperative care,” advises Dr. Kort. “The treatment provided at the Stony Brook Heart Institute Valve Center is distinguished by easy access to our entire team of specialists and our wonderful and dedicated nurse navigator who acts as a liaison between the medical team and the patient and family.”

“The combined expertise of our multidisciplinary teams allows us to bring the best approach to each patient, treating our cardiovascular patients with some of the most advanced technological breakthroughs for optimal outcomes and quality of life,” says Dr. Parikh.

The TAVR procedure involves placing a replacement valve into the aortic valve’s location through a catheter. For those with severe AS who are considered high-risk for conventional open-heart surgery, the minimally-invasive alternative provides a viable option that eliminates the need for traditional open-heart surgery. TAVR is also a surgical treatment option for patients with severe AS who are considered low-or intermediate-risk for conventional open heart surgery. Stony Brook was the first in Suffolk County and among the first in the nation to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement or TAVR.

For more information about innovative heart treatment at Stony Brook Heart Institute, visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

About Stony Brook Heart Institute:

Stony Brook Heart Institute is located within Stony Brook University Hospital as part of Long Island’s premier university-based medical center. The Heart Institute offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The staff includes full-time and community-based, board-certified cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as specially trained anesthesiologists, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, surgical technologists, perfusionists, and other support staff. Their combined expertise provides state-of-the-art interventional and surgical capabilities in 24-hour cardiac catheterization labs and surgical suites. And while the Heart Institute clinical staff offers the latest advances in medicine, its physician-scientists are also actively enhancing knowledge of the heart and blood vessels through basic biomedical studies and clinical research. To learn more, visit www.heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu.