HIGHLIGHTS
STRUCTURAL HEART & VALVE DISEASE
STRUCTURAL HEART & VALVE DISEASE
UAB Medicine’ s Structural Heart and Valve Disease Team champions a“ heart team” approach, bringing together cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, cardiac imaging specialists, and other experts to deliver comprehensive, patientcentered care. As the most active valve program in Alabama, UAB has earned national recognition for its leadership in treating complex valve conditions.
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.
COMPREHENSIVE VALVE CARE
Our team performs a full spectrum of valve interventions, including open surgical, robotic-assisted, and transcatheter approaches, tailored to each patient’ s unique anatomy and clinical needs. Additionally, but not limited to, valve-sparing aortic root replacements, balloon valvuloplasty, and the Ross procedure are performed as needed.
SURGICAL EXCELLENCE
UAB’ s cardiothoracic surgery program consistently exceeds the national benchmarks for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons( STS) Composite Quality Ratings. We have earned the highest STS 3-star rating in all six adult cardiac procedure categories, reflecting our commitment to superior outcomes.
MITRAL AND TRICUSPID VALVE EXPERTISE
Our specialists determine the most appropriate treatment modality, whether open surgery, robotic-assisted techniques, or transcatheter options such as MitraClip and TriClip.
• MitraClip is used for edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in patients with degenerative, functional, or mixed mitral regurgitation.
• TriClip provides a transcatheter solution for tricuspid regurgitation. We began performing TriClip procedures in 2024, expanding our structural heart program and enhancing our ability to treat patients with complex right-sided valve disease.
Both approaches have demonstrated excellent outcomes and are part of our commitment to offering the latest minimally invasive therapies.
TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT( TAVR)
UAB is home to Alabama’ s only nationally ranked TAVR program( U. S. News & World Report). Since 2012, our structural heart team has performed over 3,100 TAVR procedures, placing us in the top 5 % nationally by volume through 2024. Our outcomes are consistently excellent, with a low mortality rate and a median hospital stay of just one day.
We serve as a referral center for complex TAVR cases, including those requiring alternative access due to severe peripheral vascular disease or other anatomical challenges.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Recognized by U. S. News & World Report as Alabama’ s leading transcatheter valve program.
• Median length of stay for TAVR patients: 1 day
• Over 3,100 TAVR procedures performed, with consistently low mortality rates.
• Offering advanced transcatheter therapies, including MitraClip and TriClip, for mitral and tricuspid valve disease.
• Active participation in two major transcatheter clinical trials, offering patients early access to cutting-edge technologies.
8 UAB Cardiovascular Institute 2025 Annual Report