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Lankenau Medical Center Performs First Minimally Invasive Procedure for Aortic Regurgitation in Philadelphia Region
A cardiac team led by Basel Ramlawi, MD, conducted the procedure as part of the JenaValve ALIGN-AR trial using an experimental Trilogy™ heart valve system.
A cardiac team led by Basel Ramlawi, MD, conducted the procedure as part of the JenaValve ALIGN-AR trial using an experimental Trilogy™ heart valve system.
Wynnewood, PA — Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health, has performed the first minimally invasive catheter-based procedure to treat aortic regurgitation in the Philadelphia region.
A cardiac team led by Basel Ramlawi, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Main Line Health, conducted the procedure in May as part of the JenaValve ALIGN-AR trial using an experimental Trilogy™ heart valve system. The trial is the first use of a valve designed to treat aortic regurgitation through a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
Lankenau Medical Center has used TAVR to treat patients with aortic stenosis for over 10 years and was one of the first U.S. medical centers selected to offer it after the FDA approved the treatment option.
Aortic regurgitation is a condition where the aortic valve does not close tightly and allows blood to leak back into the heart’s main pumping chamber. The leakage may prevent the heart from operating efficiently to deliver blood to the rest of the body. Symptoms may include fatigue and shortness of breath and tend to develop gradually over months or years. The ALIGN-AR trial is for patients with symptomatic, severe aortic regurgitation who are at high risk for open surgery. The trial, among other Lankenau innovations, allows the Lankenau heart team to offer treatment strategies for complex valve disease in a patient-tailored approach.
“We seek to treat our patients with the most effective, minimally invasive therapies available for their specific condition,” said Ramlawi, who also is co-director of the Lankenau Heart Institute and a professor for Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, which is Main Line Health’s research division and oversees clinical trials. “We bring unique and distinct capabilities to this effort, with a decade of experience treating patients suffering from aortic stenosis using TAVR.”
Lankenau heart surgeons are national leaders in teaching minimally invasive and catheter-based valve procedures. Lankenau has performed more than 2,100 TAVR procedures for various conditions since 2012, including more than 300 in 2022. It is among the top 10% of highest performing TAVR centers in the nation.
The JenaValve Trilogy™ has been approved for commercial use in Europe but is not approved in the United States and is currently being investigated in the ALIGN-AR trial.
Lankenau continues to be a national leader in minimally invasive heart surgery. It performs the highest percentage of robotically assisted coronary bypass procedures in the country. It also is a leader in mitral valve repair using the MitraClipTM, a minimally invasive treatment for mitral valve regurgitation. The cardiac team performed its 300th MitraClip procedure last year.
This document uses words such as treatment, minimally invasive, and patient. Please remember the JenaValve ALIGN-AR is a research study and the use of these terms does not mean the use of the device has been found to be safe or effective for your condition.
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About Lankenau Medical Center
Lankenau Medical Center, a member of Main Line Health, has been devoted to the health and well-being of the community since 1860, with a founding mission to serve all those in need. Our continued dedication to service, compassionate patient care and superior clinical programs makes Lankenau a preferred destination for care by people throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond. Lankenau offers primary care, disease prevention and specialized medical and surgical management of all diseases and disorders, as well as access to clinical trials. As a 371-bed teaching and research hospital, Lankenau is committed to maintaining high-level expertise across all clinical areas and is consistently recognized for providing outstanding care. Lankenau is ranked in U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals 2022–23 in the top three in the Philadelphia region, top six in Pennsylvania and top 50 in the nation for obstetrics and gynecology. Lankenau is rated as high performing in the following specialties: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, Urology. Lankenau is rated as high-performing in the following procedures and conditions: Aortic Valve Surgery, Back Surgery (spinal fusion), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Colon Cancer Surgery, Diabetes, Heart Attack, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, Hip Fracture, Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement, Kidney Failure, Lung Cancer Surgery, Pneumonia, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Lankenau has achieved The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care and breast cancer care and is one of the nation's Top Performing Hospitals for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. Lankenau Medical Center was rated a top performer in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating. Lankenau has also earned the highest distinction for excellence in nursing care, the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet® designation.
About Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) is a nonprofit biomedical research institute located on the campus of Lankenau Medical Center and is part of Main Line Health. Founded in 1927, LIMR's mission is to improve human health and well-being. Faculty and staff are devoted to advancing innovative new approaches to formidable medical challenges, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders and autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes and arthritis. LIMR's principal investigators conduct basic, preclinical and translational research, using their findings to explore ways to improve disease detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. They are committed to extending the boundaries of human health through technology transfer and training of the next generation of scientists and physicians.
About Main Line Health
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Main Line Health's commitment—to deliver advanced medicine for treating and curing disease, playing an important role in prevention and disease management as well as training physicians and other health care providers—reflects our intent to be the region's premier choice for clinical care, research, and education. A team of nearly 13,000 employees and more than 2,000 physicians care for patients throughout the Main Line Health System.
At Main Line Health's core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitals—Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital—as well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital.
Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region's largest multispecialty physician networks.
Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care, and service, including U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, System Magnet® designation; the nation's highest distinction for nursing excellence and the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE) Excellence Award. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect, equity, and inclusion, has proudly received awards in this area and has embraced the American Hospital Association's #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education, and research to help patients stay healthy and live their best lives.
For more information, visit mainlinehealth.org and connect with us on social media:
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