The CoreValve Evolut R System

The Christ Hospital First in the Region to Treat Patients with Newly Approved Heart Valve

The CoreValve Evolut R System is Smallest, First-and-Only Respositionable Artificial Heart Valve Device in the Country

Cincinnati (August 31, 2015) – Continuing its role as a leader in innovating healthcare and transforming care, physicians with The Christ Hospital Health Network are the first in the region to treat a patient with a newly-approved technologically-advanced heart valve. The procedure is another example of The Christ Hospital’s cardiovascular team improving local healthcare by providing patients access to treatments not available at other area hospitals.
Each year, 5 million people are diagnosed with heart valve disease, one-third of which are severe cases. Research shows that without replacing the diseased valve, half of this severely affected group will not live over two years. However, traditional open heart surgery to replace the valve is not always a safe option.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with aortic valve disease who are unable to receive traditional open heart valve replacement due to increased surgical risks. TAVR replaces a diseased aortic heart valve without open-heart surgery and without surgical removal of the diseased valve. Once in place, the device expands and takes over the original valve’s function to enable oxygen-rich blood to flow efficiently out of the heart.
The CoreValve Evolut R System, developed by Medtronic and approved in June by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is the smallest and first-and-only respositionable artificial heart valve device available in the country.  The new valve provides physicians more flexibility to accurately place the artificial valve and the smaller size makes it accessible to more patients. Research indicates precise valve placement leads to better outcomes and less chance of leakage around the valve--- a common complication from the replacement procedure that can affect recovery and long-term results.
In addition to being the first local hospital to implant the Medtronic Evolut R System, last month The Christ Hospital became the first area hospital to implant the recently-approved SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve developed by Edwards Lifesciences, which is also used for TAVR and may be a better option for some patients.
In 2011, The Christ Hospital was the first Cincinnati-area hospital to perform TAVR. The Lindner Research Center was one of a select number of research sites in the country to evaluate new technologies that have since transformed heart valve disease therapy. These innovations can be life saving for patients suffering from heart valve disease who are poor surgical candidates. The Christ Hospital has improved the lives of over 300 local patients using TAVR.
“We are proud to offer leading-edge technologies like the Evolut R System to patients with heart valve disease.” said Ian Sarembock, M.D., Service Line Executive Medical Director, The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center. “Our dedication to advancing the latest cardiovascular therapies provides patients in Greater Cincinnati advanced treatment options close to home and well before other healthcare systems.”
To learn more about the heart valve program at The Christ Hospital, call 513-206-1179 or visit TheChristHospital.com/Heart.
 
About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with five ambulatory centers and 181 neighborhood offices conveniently located throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes, affordable care and the finest experiences. Led by the region’s Most Preferred Hospital (National Research Corporation) for 19 consecutive years, the network is dedicated to transforming care by delivering integrated, individualized healthcare and wellness services through its comprehensive physician network and advanced specialty service. The Christ Hospital is among only 6% of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet recognition for nursing excellence and among the top 5% of hospitals in the country for patient satisfaction. For more than 125 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to all those it serves.
About The Lindner Research Center: For the past 25 years, The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education (Lindner Research Center) has provided leading-edge medicines and medical technology research covering a broad spectrum of conditions from obesity, diabetes, coronary disease, hypertension and hyperlipidemia to new vascular interventional devices, adult stem cell therapies, structural heart disease, cardiovascular surgery, heart failure and electrophysiology. Physicians at the Lindner Research Center have conducted more than 1,200 clinical trials including multiple first-in-man and first-in-the-U.S procedures, which have contributed to best practice standards for the care of patients. For information on current trials, please call 513-585-1777.