Our specialty here at Our Lady of the Lake Heart and Vascular Institute is minimally invasive heart valve replacement and repair, septal defects closures and stroke risk reduction for atrial fibrillation.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
TAVR is a less invasive option to previously required open heart surgery. It has revolutionized treatment for patients living with aortic stenosis. During the procedure, your doctor will use a catheter through a small incision to implant a new valve within your diseased valve. Benefits to this transcatheter approach may include better clinical outcomes, less scarring, a much shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, less pain and anxiety, and improved quality of life and relief of symptoms. Our Lady of the Lake can customize heart valves to fit your condition.
TAVR treatment options are avilable across all risk profiles including patients with asymptomatic aortic stenosis.
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Therapies
MitraClip
MitraClip is a simple procedure used to fix what is often referred to as a leaky valve. It is indicated for people with degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR>3+) that is symptomatic and who are not candidates for mitral valve surgery. During the procedure, the doctor accesses the mitral valve through a think tube called a catheter. MitraClip does not require opening of the chest or temporarily stopping the heart like traditional surgery. Because of the minimally invasive approach and real-time imaging, this type of procedure only takes 1 to 3 hours and patients typically go home in 1 to 3 days.
Left Atrial Appendage Occluder Device (LAAO)
The LAAO is a minimally-invasive procedure, which is an alternative to blood thinners for many people. It can mean eliminating a lifetime of concern over issues like bleeding or falling. It is indicated for patients with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, also called non-valvular Afib. Patients may not be candidates for chronic anticoagulation for several reasons including noncompliance, occupational restrictions, long-term bleeding or a strong preference not to take blood thinners. After placement of the device, which is done in the cath lab, patients typically go home after an overnight stay. Anticoagulation medications can be permanently stopped 45 days after this life-changing event.