September 27, 2017—Portland, Ore.— Adventist Health’s Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular in Portland, Ore. is one of the first institutions in the country and the only one in Oregon to offer patients the new sutureless Perceval valve for aortic valve replacements (AVR). The valve is a surgical biological valve designed with a self-anchoring frame, enabling surgeons to replace the native, diseased valve suture-free.
“One of our primary focuses at Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular is minimally invasive valve repair and replacement,” says Thomas Molloy, MD, medical director for the cardiac program and a cardiac surgeon who has performed well over 1,000 minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures.
Aortic valve procedures are the most common valve intervention performed in the United States with over 60,000 performed annually. At Adventist Health Portland, 90 percent of aortic valve operations are performed with minimally invasive techniques.
“The sutureless valve solves most of the implant issues that limited us in some cases allowing minimally invasive techniques in nearly 100% of our patients who need an aortic valve replacement,” says Molloy.
“The average patient who has received a minimally invasive valve replacement at Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular spends four days in the hospital compared to the national average of over seven days. The difference in recovery after discharge to home compared with a sternotomy is even more dramatic with many patients returning to full activity within a couple of weeks,” says Molloy. The minimally invasive surgical technique serves patients who need a more durable aortic valve replacement than percutaneous (TAVR) techniques offer.
The sutureless Perceval aortic valve has excellent blood flow characteristics and proven durability. Engineered to restore natural valve performance, the valve features a super-elastic stent that is able to adapt to the movement of the aorta during the cardiac cycle. Unlike other AVR options, its implantation method involves collapsing the valve prior to implantation to improve visibility for the surgeon during surgery.
“At Adventist Health, we continue to provide the most innovative approaches minimizing the invasiveness and risk for patients who need heart valve procedures” adds Dr. Molloy.
Innovation is not a new concept for the dedicated team at Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular. State of the art minimally invasive and robotic assisted procedures for aortic and mitral valve disease and atrial fibrillation are a primary focus of the program. In 2011, the Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular program began operating in a new state-of-the-art Universal Bed Cardiovascular unit, the first in the region.
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About Adventist Health Portland
Adventist Health’s Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular services include general and interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, interventional radiology, non-invasive testing, cardiac rehab, and wellness education. The program has locations in Portland, Tillamook and McMinnville.
Adventist Health services in Portland are part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Our compassionate and talented team of 33,300 includes more than 24,600 employees; 5,000 medical staff physicians; and 3,700 volunteers working together in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in 19 hospitals, more than 280 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 13 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. Together, our team is inspired to transform the health experience of our communities, with our unique focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.
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