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More than four years after pioneering a new heart valve replacement procedure, doctors at St. Michael’s Hospital are now able to offer the minimally invasive treatment to a wider range of patients.
In 2019, Drs. Neil Pham, Mark Peterson, and Geraldine Ong world’s first Catheter-based EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement via the femoral vein, accessed through the patient’s leg. Since then, more than 800 of his surgeries have been performed around the world. St. Michael’s Hospital continues to be the only center in Ontario offering this innovative procedure.
The tricuspid valve is located on the right side of the heart and separates the upper and lower chambers of the heart and controls blood flow. When the heart is damaged or leaks, it has to work harder to pump blood to the body. Tricuspid valve leakage can eventually lead to heart failure.
The femoral approach used by Drs. Pham, Peterson and Ong offer a less invasive option for patients who cannot undergo traditional methods such as open-heart surgery or a thoracotomy, which involves making an incision between the patient’s ribs. It also reduces the risk of complications, with additional benefits such as fewer heart failure hospitalizations, shorter hospital stays, and improved overall patient quality of life.
The first patient to undergo this procedure at St. Michael’s in 2019, Mir Hasan Ali, continues to do well, paving the way for many more patients to have successful treatment at St. Michael’s and around the world. ing.
Customized for every patient
At the time of Ali’s surgery, it was not standardized and the tools used were limited, reducing the number of patients served. His EVOQUE Tricuspid Valve Replacement System was available in 2019 in only 2 sizes. Since then, tools and technology have evolved and the valve is now available in five different sizes, allowing him to tailor treatment to most patients.
“Since we now treat five different valves, the number of patients who decline has decreased significantly,” explained Dr. Pham, an interventional cardiologist and director of the structural heart program at St. Michael’s. “The main thing that patients need to know is that there are now many minimally invasive options for valvular heart disease.”
Since 2019, more studies and trials have strengthened the evidence for this minimally invasive approach, which is gaining even more momentum, says Dr. Pham. Additionally, St. Michael’s Structural Heart Team freely shares its knowledge and expertise with other centers around the world to benefit patients worldwide.
“This is exciting because we pioneered this procedure and through our early compassionate use experience performed the first cases and taught other centers how to do it. We now have over 1,000 patients worldwide. We’ve seen near success stories, and with multiple different valves providing a better toolbox, momentum is growing,” said Dr. Pham.
Dr Ong added: This technology has shown promising results and we hope it will help improve the quality of life for many patients. ” For patients living with valvular heart disease, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Written by Anastasia Pojaskova. Photo: Yuri Markarov.
Author: Anastasia Pojaskova
