Austin physicians introduce valve replacement system to treat chronic heart conditions

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin physicians are trying new ways to treat chronic heart conditions.

Five cardiologists at Heart Hospital of Austin are the first in the nation to administer a valve replacement system to treat severe mitral annular calcification — a calcium buildup preventing blood from being pumped to the rest of the body.

“In the past the only option was open heart surgery to replace that valve, which for many patients that’s just too high risk, and their anatomy doesn’t allow for that,” said Dr. Faraz Kerendi, one of the five who performed the procedure. “This is really exciting that we now have alternative technology that we can address those issues.”

Kerendi, surgical director of the Heart Valve Clinic at Heart Hospital of Austin, said the patient would have developed worse heart failure symptoms, estimating they would have lived for, at most, two more years had they not been given the new treatment.

With the new valve in place, he expects the patient’s quality of life to drastically improve, saying the valve itself should last at least 10 years.

The mitral valve is one of four valves that pumps blood from the heart through the rest of the body. Patients may experience shortness of breath or feel fatigued when the mitral valve is not working correctly, Kerendi said.

Typically valve replacements involve stopping the heart and transferring its functions to a heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery, something Kerendi said isn’t feasible for the elderly and patients with chronic conditions.

The new method is administered using a smaller-sized incision and catheter system and doesn’t require stopping the patient’s heart. After insertion, the device expands and can function as a new valve, Kerendi said.

The system went through three trials administered by Kerendi and his team before becoming approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.

“Some of these patients couldn’t be treated otherwise they would have no other option,” he said. “We now have this technology and can treat people who otherwise wouldn’t be treated at all.”