INNOVATION | to heal patients and give them hope
which is the heart surgeons and
cardiologists working together with the
ultimate goal of enhancing the quality
of life of the patient,” says Dr. SaiSudhakar. Beyond collaboration and
benefiting patients, TAVR advances
the knowledge that specialists glean
from one another. Dr. Lawrence says,
“It has really improved communication
and understanding of what each
subspecialty does.”
Back to health
Patient James Sharp Sr., is surrounded by his team of caregivers.
Back row (left to right): Cardiovascular technician Edward Provasek,
Dr. Timothy Mixon, Dr. Mark Lawrence, and Director of the Division of
Cardiology Dr. Gregory Dehmer. Middle row (left to right): Nurse
Clinician Terry Patrick, Dr. Subbareddy Konda and Director of the Division
of Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. Chittoor Bhaskar Sai-Sudhakar.
procedure because of Mr. Sharp’s
compromised lungs. The team carefully
planned the procedure, and their expert
work during it saw him through. “The
valve was functioning immediately after
we placed it,” says Dr. Lawrence.
A heart team in place
During the TAVR procedure a catheter
is inserted into the femoral artery near the
groin. The catheter threads a synthetic
valve about the same diameter as a
pencil through the artery until it reaches
the weakened aortic valve. A balloon is
inflated to expand the replacement valve,
the catheter is removed, and the new
valve begins to function. The weakened
valve remains in place.
The procedure lasted about 90
20
THE CATALYST May 15 | sw.org
minutes, and Mr. Sharp spent a week in
the hospital recovering—much less time
than if he had undergone open heart
surgery. “It was a very simple procedure,
and I don’t believe anyone should be
scared of it,” says his son, Roy Sharp,
who lives next door to his dad.
The TAVR procedure requires
close collaboration among the heart
specialists at Scott & White Memorial
Hospital, including cardiologists
(some of whom have interventional
expertise), and cardiothoracic surgeons.
Also, imaging specialists in areas of
echocardiography and computerized
tomography (CT) assist in planning
the catheter-based procedure.
“This is a new paradigm. It brings
up the concept of the ‘heart team,’
The fact that 100 TAVR patients have
been treated within two and a-half
years of introducing the procedure
proves there is a demand for it in
Central Texas. Dr. Mixon says, “Scott
& White in Temple is on pace to
perform 50 such procedures a year,
which would put it on par with busy
TAVR centers across the country.”
Dr. Lawrence reports that Mr. Sharp
is doing well. “What amazes me when
I see these people at their follow-up
visit and listen to their heart, is that the
murmur is gone,” he says. Mr. Sharp
feels better, too. “I did pretty good,” he
says. “They took care of me all right.”
Roy Sharp is pleased that his father’s
doing so well. “He’s doing fine now.
He’s got color again,” he says. “My
father is back to riding three miles a
day on his stationary exercise bike and
is driving again, though only during
the daytime. He’s just as ornery as he
was before,” he says. “Hopefully by
this spring he’ll be back on the riding
lawn mower.” n