Doctors at Catholic Medical Center’s New England Heart & Vascular Institute have performed the first completely percutaneous mitral valve replacement in the state of New Hampshire. Percutaneous means there were no incisions in the skin. Instead, the procedure, performed last month, was done through a catheter.
“CMC is a leader in catheter-based aortic valve replacement (TAVR),” says Dr. Fahad Gilani, the interventional cardiologist who led the procedure. “We were able to apply that skill and experience to help this patient, who was in dire need for a new mitral valve. It was a relatively short procedure and the patient was able to go home two days later.”
The heart has four valves – the mitral and tricuspid valves control blood flow into the heart, while aortic and pulmonary valve control blood flow out of the heart. Until recently, valve repair or replacement required open-heart surgery with long and uncomfortable recoveries.
Working with a team of anesthesiologists, nurses and techs, cardiologists and surgeons are now able to perform valve replacement through a catheter. They use x-rays and echocardiography to guide the tools through the catheter, from the groin to the heart. In addition to its celebrated TAVR program, CMC also offers the MitraClip procedure, which takes this catheter-based approach to repair leaky mitral valves.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team we have here at the New England Heart & Vascular Institute,” says Dr. Joseph Pepe, President & CEO of CMC. “They are dedicated to giving patients the most innovative treatments available. This kind of work is truly changing health care – and heart care – in New Hampshire and beyond.”
CMC, a member of GraniteOne Health, offers the world-class services of The New England Heart & Vascular Institute in Manchester and at locations throughout the state of New Hampshire.