Robert Regent, 84, of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains, has battled heart disease for the past 16 years, but it hasn’ t stopped him from living life to the fullest.
“ Atone time, New York City was the center of medicine. Now hospitals in New Jersey have the same capabilities.”
AMEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR
HEART VALVEPATIENTS Pompton Plains resident receives life-saving alternative to open-heart surgery
Robert Regent, 84, of Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains, has battled heart disease for the past 16 years, but it hasn’ t stopped him from living life to the fullest.
In fact, hesurvived open-heart surgery and several angioplasties before cruising to Hawaii in January of2015, when shortness of breath and other concerning symptoms landed him in a Honolulu hospital.“ I was supposed to meet my friends for dinner, but couldn’ t walk too far and didn’ tfeel right. So Iwent to the medical facility … and they carted me off the ship,” herecalled. Instead of enjoying the rest of his vacation, Regent received another stent followed byaconfirmed diagnosis ofprosthetic valve stenosis, a narrowing or obstruction that develops in areplaced heart valve.
“ To say it was not the trip Ihad planned would beanunderstatement,” he quipped.
Days later, Regent was back home and under the care ofChilton Medical Center cardiologists Mark Rosenthal, MD and Lawrence Blitz, MD, medical director of the hospital’ s Cardiovascular Interventional Lab. The physicians monitored his condition and ultimately recommended transcatheter aortic valve replacement( TAVR), abreakthrough technique offering new hope topatients who might otherwise forego treatment. For Regent, it was the only way to replace his failing valve without another surgery – and the best chance for saving his life.
Understanding ValVe disease
Aortic stenosis is the most common form of acquired valvular heart disease. Historically, ithas been treated with surgical valve replacement( SAVR), during which adamaged valve issurgically removed and replaced with amechanical or tissue valve.“ A tissue
“ Atone time, New York City was the center of medicine. Now hospitals in New Jersey have the same capabilities.”
replacement doesn’ t last forever,” stated Dr. Blitz.“ The valve lasts about 10 to 15 years before it degenerates and either becomes stenotic or narrowed or insufficient or leaky.” That was precisely the case for Regent, who underwent asurgical aortic valve replacement in 2001.
Prosthetic valve stenosis isphysiologically the same as the more common heart valve disease called aortic stenosis, which is also degenerative and treatable with SAVRortheTAVRprocedure. Both conditions result from anaccumulation of calcium or scarring in the heart’ saortic valve.
Essentially, the aortic valve acts like adoor to the body’ s circulatory system, allowing oxygen-rich blood toflow through the heart to the brain and other areas.“ When that door is partially closed, blood flow isconstricted and the heart must work alot harder,” explained Dr. Blitz.“ It can’ t function effectively, causing symptoms such as fatigue, shortness ofbreath, chest pain, or exertional lightheadedness orpassing out.” As the disease progresses patients may struggle to walk, climb stairs and perform routine activities.
Severe aortic stenosis can lead to heart failure and carries apoor prognosis when left untreated. Less than 60 percent ofpatients survive more than two years.
“ The mortality rate is high because most patients are elderly,” remarked Dr. Blitz. Many have co-existing medical conditions and are too sick for openheart surgery. Until recently, they had no viable option for heart valve replacement. ButTAVRhas revolutionized the way physicians treat severe aortic disease – providing aminimally invasive alternative that can replace a faulty valve without surgical intervention.
Robert Regent
anew approach to ValVe replacement
Chilton Medical Center physicians can now offer heart patients access to TAVR in collaboration with cardiac surgeons at Morristown Medical Center, the first hospital in New Jersey to introduce this innovation for severe aortic stenosis. Since both hospitals are part of Atlantic Health System, patients like Robert Regent have ready access toone of the country’ stop 50 cardiology and heart surgery programs as ranked byU. S. News & World Report and ahospital that treats more patients with heart valve disease than any other health care provider in the state. Morristown Medical Center’ sworld-renowned team of cardiac specialists performs approximately 700 valve procedures each year.
SUMMER 2017 Chilton Magazine