HIGHLIGHTS
STRUCTURAL HEART & VALVE DISEASE
STRUCTURAL HEART & VALVE DISEASE
UAB Medicine ’ s multidisciplinary structural heart and valve disease team champions the “ heart team ” approach . The team includes cardiac surgeons , interventional cardiologists , and cardiac imaging physicians with expertise in all aspects of valve-related interventions . They are experts in valve disease and treat more patients than any other such program in Alabama , which has helped make UAB a national leader in caring for patients .
UAB ’ s comprehensive valve program is staffed by skilled physicians who perform valve repair / replacement using open surgical , robotic , and transcatheter approaches that are tailored to the complexities of each case and designed to deliver the most optimal outcomes . Additionally , valve-sparing aortic root replacements , balloon valvuloplasty , and the Ross procedure are performed as needed .
SURGICAL OUTCOMES The Society of Thoracic Surgeons ( STS ) developed a comprehensive assessment of quality for valve procedures , allowing for benchmark comparisons across participating U . S . institutions . UAB ’ s cardiothoracic surgery program continues to exceed all STS Overall Composite Quality Participant Scores and has achieved the highest rating for three of the four STS valve procedure categories .
MITRAL VALVE PROCEDURES UAB ’ s expert team of physicians works to determine the appropriate mode of treatment , whether that ’ s open surgery , robotic-assisted procedures , or an interventional procedure ( MitraClip ). The commercially available MitraClip is indicated as a transcatheter approach to mitral valve repair using the edge-to-edge technique for patients with degenerative , functional , or mixed mitral regurgitation . Superior outcomes have been achieved for these procedures .
TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT The transcatheter aortic valve replacement ( TAVR ) procedure is used to treat patients with aortic stenosis who are considered to be inoperable or as an alternative for patients whose risk is high , intermediate , or low . The UAB Cardiovascular Institute is home to the only TAVR program in Alabama that is nationally ranked by U . S . News & World Report . The oldest program of its kind in the state , our structural heart team has performed more than 2,400 TAVR procedures since 2012 . Our high volumes put us in the top 5 % of institutions performing this procedure .
Our heart team is comprised of cardiovascular surgeons , interventional cardiologists , cardiac imaging specialists , cardiac anesthesiologists , advanced practitioners , nurses , psychologists , and members of the quality team . They collaborate to provide comprehensive , high-quality , and patient-centered care .
Our program serves as a referral center for complex TAVR procedures and receives a large number of referrals from other TAVR centers , given our expertise . Offering alternative access further exemplifies the overall strength of our team in caring for this high-risk , complex patient population . Alternative access for TAVR is available for patients with severe peripheral vascular disease and other anatomic variations that preclude a standard transfemoral approach .
HIGHLIGHTS
• Recognized by U . S . News & World Report as the leading transcatheter valve program in Alabama
• Median length of stay for TAVR procedures is one day
• Program is an active enroller in two important transcatheter studies across two platforms , allowing patients access to the latest technology
• Zero in-house mortalities for MitraClips since November 2020
• Performed over 2,400 TAVR procedures , with excellent outcomes
10 UAB Cardiovascular Institute 2023 Annual Report