to have surgery. “We are
very fortunate to perform
the number of cardiac
procedures we do, which
is why we were selected
Members of the Scott & White Healthcare - Round Rock cardiology team that performs
transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Pictured left to right: Kendra Thomsen,
as one of the facilities to
Dr. Subbareddy Konda, Dr. Rafael E. Gonzalez, Dr. Vijay G. Divakaran, Dr. Angel E. Caldera,
offer this procedure.”
Dr. Jacobo Vazquez, Jaime A. Caro, and Dr. Amy B. Stancoven.
Timothy Mixon, MD,
Mark Lawrence, DO, from
of communication helped them to help mounted on a catheter (a long tube) Scott & White Hospital – Temple, and
over a balloon and is threaded through Angel Caldera, MD, director of the
me following my surgery.”
a leg artery up to the heart using special catheterization lab at Scott & White
imaging technology. This procedure is Hospital – Round Rock, are all part of
A new option for aortic
known as femoral catheterization. In the team providing this new procedure.
valve replacement
Open heart surgery is often the only some patients, the leg artery cannot be They share Dr. Dehmer’s enthusiasm:
option for individuals with severe aortic used, so the valve is inserted through “This technique is a new, effective way
stenosis, a condition where the aortic the apex of the heart using the keyhole for heart specialists to fix something as
valve doesn’t fully open or is narrowed procedure. Once the valve is in the serious as a faulty valve that needs to
due to a buildup of calcium. However, proper position, the balloon is expanded, be replaced, in a less invasive fashion,”
advanced age; severe lung, liver, or the heart valve opens, compressing the says Dr. Mixon. Dr. Lawrence adds
kidney disease; previous bypass surgery; diseased valve out of the way. The how rewarding it is at the end of each
or radiation treatment to the chest catheter is then removed, leaving successful procedure. “These kinds of
may eliminate this option, leaving the the new valve open and functioning. advancements make our jobs all that
patient no recourse other than to live Gregory Dehmer, MD, director of more exciting,” he says.
About 25 percent of TAVR
the Division of Cardiology at Scott &
with a potentially fatal condition.
In April 2013, Scott & White White Healthcare, says that the number procedures performed in Temple
Healthcare introduced a minimally of aortic valve replacements nationwide come from the Round Rock and
invasive alternative called transcatheter has surged 30 percent. He credits this Austin area. Dr. Caldera and his team
aortic valve replacement (TAVR). new procedure for making a difference complete the pre-procedural assessment
During the procedure, a new valve is to those otherwise too sick or high-risk in Round Rock, and the procedure
“I especially appreciated the time the staff took to
make sure that my family understood the procedure
I was having. That type of communication helped
them to help me following my surgery.”
—Sandy Martin
28
The Catalyst November 13 | sw.org