IN Carlynton-Montour Winter 2018 | Page 4

The Heartbeat of Innovation Elderly and higher-risk patients for whom traditional surgery is not an option can now get a healthier heart with a revolutionary type of heart valve replacement surgery. At Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surgery requires only a small incision — just one of a series of revolutionary recent advances in heart valve replacement techniques. #LivingProof of Innovation As pioneers in the use of this minimally invasive technology, AHN physicians have performed more than 600 TAVR surgeries since 2012. Our cardiovascular surgeons are able to insert the artifi cial heart valve through a catheter in the patient’s thigh without removing the damaged valve.  What does this mean for you? Less scarring Less blood loss Shorter recovery times