Groundbreaking Heart Procedure Makes Buffalo General Medical Center #1

By Annette Pinder

Something that never happened before in Western New York took place in January. Janice Savey of Olean and Robert Cecchini of Tonawanda, who suffered from severe untreatable aortic stenosis, underwent a new type of surgery, and they believe the outcome is nothing short of a miracle.

That’s because a new ground-breaking procedure called transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR), which treats narrowing of the aortic artery, is now an option for some patients. And Buffalo General Medical Center is the only facility in Upstate New York and West of Albany that has been approved to perform this complex non-invasive procedure.

According to the American Heart Association, more than five million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year, and up to 1.5 million of them suffer from aortic stenosis. In Western New York there are about 75,000 cases, and with an aging population, those numbers will continue to grow. Symptoms of the disease can include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and fainting. Approximately 50 percent of those who have it will not survive more than two years without valve replacement following onset of symptoms. And if a patient has other serious health issues, making open heart surgery impossible, TAVR may prove to be an effective option.

In a normally functioning heart, blood travels from the left ventricle through the aortic valve and into the aorta where it is carried through the body. Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve narrows or fails to open and close properly, forcing the heart to work harder and harder. The extra stress causes the heart’s muscles to weaken over time, increasing the risk of heart failure.

TAVR involves the insertion of a biological valve through a small cut in the leg. Once delivered to the site of the  diseased valve, the new valve is expanded with a balloon and immediately functions in place of the patient’s valve. This allows for valve replacement without traditional open-heart surgery and while the heart is beating, avoiding the need for cardiopulmonary bypass.

Vijay Iyer, MD, is Medical Director of Cardiology at Buffalo General Medical Center, and practices with UBMD Internal Medicine. He attributes the selection of Buffalo General to the volume of cases they have, and their years of excellent outcomes. Although more facilities will likely open in our region, Dr. Iyer emphasizes the importance of patient volume and the need for a team that includes heart and vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, specialists in heart imaging and cardiologists to perform each procedure.

“TAVR is a major milestone in the treatment of valve-related heart disease,” says Dr. Iyer, and an example of a great collaborative of Gates Vascular Institute and UB’s Clinical Translational Research Center. Located adjacent to Buffalo General Medical Center, the new center will officially open April 1.

For now, Dr. Iyer estimates the procedure will initially be limited to about 70 patients a year who meet the necessary criteria. It isn’t approved yet for younger or less-risky patients, but for those with more serious conditions there is renewed hope.

Western New York Resource
Vijay Iyer, MD, PhD
Director of Cardiology
Buffalo General Medical Center

100 High Street

Buffalo, NY 14203

1-855-BGH-TAVR

TAVR@KaleidaHealth.org