Samsung Changwon Hospital Successfully Performs Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Without Chest Incision

Cardiology Professor Yonghwan Park's Team Achievement

The Cardiovascular Center at Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, has successfully performed a high-level treatment for aortic valve stenosis called transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

The heart has four valves that prevent blood from flowing backward and help it flow in the proper direction.

One of these is the aortic valve, and the condition in which the valve narrows and hardens due to aging or other factors, causing blood flow obstruction, is called aortic valve stenosis.

Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, and fainting. If left untreated, the mortality rate reaches 50% within two years, making surgical or procedural aortic valve replacement necessary.

Professor Park Yonghwan, Head of the Cardiovascular Center and Department of Cardiology at Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University. [Image courtesy of Samsung Changwon Hospital]

Until now, for high-risk patients with underlying diseases or elderly patients, surgical aortic valve replacement involving chest incision was a significant burden, but now there is an alternative called transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is a non-surgical, state-of-the-art treatment method that inserts a new valve without opening the chest.

Although considered one of the most challenging cardiovascular interventional procedures, it has a short procedure time, causes less pain to the patient, and allows for quick recovery.

In particular, depending on the patient's condition, the procedure can be performed under local anesthesia or sedation instead of general anesthesia, making it possible to treat elderly patients with multiple diseases without complications, which is a major advantage.

Professor Park Yong-hwan, head of the Cardiovascular Center and the cardiology department who was in charge of the procedure, said, “Transcatheter aortic valve implantation can only be performed when the hospital system and medical staff’s expertise are in place to ensure that the entire process?from examination and diagnosis to procedure and recovery?can proceed safely.”

He added, “The success of this procedure proves that Samsung Changwon Hospital has established its status and capabilities as a leading regional tertiary hospital.”

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