TAVR

Innovation meets teamwork

A closer look at our first-on-the-Northshore TAVR program

 

(TAVR) Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

 

In 2019, St. Tammany Health System introduced the Northshore to TAVR, or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a minimally invasive procedure in which a malfunctioning heart valve is replaced without requiring open-heart surgery, resulting in dramatically shorter recovery times and fewer complications. 


Since then, St. Tammany and its partner Ochsner Health have worked together to perform hundreds of TAVR procedures, getting patients back on their feet and living an active life quickly and safely -- and earning TAVR certification from the American College of Cardiology in 2021.


Because it is available to patients in all risk categories, TAVR can be an effective option to improve quality of life in patients who otherwise have limited choices for repair of their aortic valve.


As with any surgical procedure, there can be complications. If you think TAVR might be an option for you, ask your doctor or call STHS Structural Heart Clinical Coordinator Karolina Ruthner at (985) 871-5826.


TAVR and aortic stenosis

A closer look at the disease and its symptoms

 

TAVR is a treatment for aortic stenosis, a progressive disease in which the leaflets, or “flaps,” that regulate blood flow from the heart become stiff, reducing their ability to open and close fully -- and thus requiring your heart to work harder to push blood through to your body.


Aortic stenosis can be caused by a variety of factors, including age, calcium build-up, radiation therapy, a heart infection, birth defects or rheumatic fever.


Heart valve disease may occur with no outward symptoms, although symptoms commonly misinterpreted as “normal” signs of aging can, in fact, be signs of aortic stenosis, including:

  • Chest pain
  • Rapid fluttering heartbeat
  • Trouble breathing or feeling short of breath
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded, even fainting
  • Difficulty walking short distances
  •  Swollen ankels or feet
  • Not doing activities you used to enjoy
  • Difficulty sleeping or the need to sleep sitting up


How does TAVR work?

It sounds complicated: “Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.” In actuality, though, the minimally invasive TAVR procedure – which takes just one to three hours to complete and often sees patients cleared to return home the next day – isn’t all that difficult to understand. In this short, animated video, we walk you through how it works.


Patient testimonials

TAVR patients discuss the procedure in their own words

 

Man, I was blessed, there’s no doubt about that – blessed with the right people. It’s so much like a family at that hospital. It’s a family atmosphere, but also extremely technically competent."

Irvin Keller, TAVR patient (Read Mr. Keller's full story here)

Since all this, we’ve been to the beach, we’ve been able to take the kids to the state fair in Jackson, Mississippi. We went trick-or-treating with them, Tony’s been back hunting once or twice. … He’s up and at it again."

Sheila Magee, wife of TAVR patient Tony Magee (Read Mr. Magee's full story here)

We like LSU sports. We've got season tickets – football, baseball. Right after the procedure, I missed the Utah State game, but the following week I went to the Florida game. Even walked up the steps, with no trouble."

Richard Hodgson, TAVR patient (Read Mr. Hodgson's full story here)

Full cardio care

A closer look at some of STHS’s related cardiac services:

 

Cardiac Cath Lab

Cardiac Cath Lab
Ph: 985-898-4000

Located on our main hospital campus in Covington, our Cardiac Cath Lab provides patients with a suite of diagnostic and treatment services, including stent and pacemaker placement, angioplasty, angiography, cardiac catheterization, ablation and more. Patients recover on-site until they are discharged, in most cases later that same day.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac Rehabilitation
Ph: 985-898-4414

Operating out of STHS’s Paul D. Cordes Outpatient Pavilion in Covington, our Cardio Rehab facility hosts a multi-phased program designed, first, to get patients back on their feet. That’s followed by a blend of education and exercise in our on-site facility and, if necessary, enrollment in our Living Tobacco Free smoking cessation program.

Coumadin Clinic

Coumadin Clinic
Ph: 985-898-3733

St. Tammany Health System’s Coumadin Clinic, located at the Paul D. Cordes Outpatient Pavilion in Covington, facilitates management of the anticoagulant warfarin – also known by the name brand Coumadin – which is prescribed for medical conditions such as heart rhythm disturbances, strokes, heart valve replacements or blood clotting disorders.


Awards and Accreditations

St. Tammany Health System's cardiology and heart care programs have earned recognition from groups including:

 

U.S. News and World Report-- High performing in Heart Failure Care U.S. News and World Report -- High performing in Heart Attack Care Heart CareStroke Center Top 10% in Nation for Cardiac Care Excellence Top 10% in Nation for Cardiac Care Patient Safety American College of Cardiology Accredited Chest Pain CenterAmerican College of Cardiology Certified Transcatheter Valve Center CenterCarotid ProceduresPacemaker Procedures Procedures

Meet Our TAVR Care Team

Georges Antoun, MD

Georges Antoun, MD

Interventional cardiology

St. Tammany Health System

Charles Dicorte, MD

Charles Dicorte, MD

Cardiovascular surgeon

Ochsner Health

George Isa, MD

George Isa, MD

Interventional cardiology

Ochsner Health

Jose Mena, MD

Jose Mena, MD

Cardiovascular surgeon

Ochsner Health

Linda Keefer, MD

Karolina Ruthner, APRN

Structural Heart Program Coordinator

St. Tammany Health System