Surgeons at Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine’s Heart and Vascular Institute performed the world’s first robotic transcatheter aortic valve replacement explant and aortic valve replacement.
The procedure was performed May 27 by Vinay Badhwar, MD, executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, Ali Darehzereshki, MD, Goya Raikar, MD, J. Hunter Mehaffey, MD, Lawrence Wei, MD, and Ramesh Daggubati, MD, according to a June 4 news release from the health system.
The 67-year-old female patient underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement four years ago at a different hospital and was told the valve would last 10 to 15 years. She presented at WVU Heart and Vascular Institute with severe symptoms of a premature blockage in the valve and heart failure, the release said.
“Unfortunately, when TAVR valves are implanted in patients who are under age 65 or 70 years, have a long life expectancy and may be of lower risk, we are seeing a surge in patients across the country who are in need of having these valves explanted, largely due to premature failure,” Dr. Badhwar said in the release.
During the procedure, the team robotically explanted the patient’s transcatheter aortic valve replacement and replaced both her aortic and mitral valves. The patient was discharged home less than a week later, the release said.
