Samsung Changwon Hospital Cardio Vascular Center Achieves 50 Cases of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Replacement Without Open-Chest Surgery

Advanced Treatment Option for High-Risk and Elderly Patients

The Cardio Vascular Center at Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, announced that it has surpassed 50 cases of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a highly advanced procedure for aortic valve stenosis. This achievement comes approximately two years and six months after the center performed its first procedure in November 2023.

Director Yonghwan Park of the Cardiovascular Center at Samsung Changwon Hospital during a procedure.
[Photo by Samsung Changwon Hospital]

Aortic valve stenosis is a disease in which the heart's aortic valve develops blood flow obstruction due to aging or narrowing. It mainly presents with symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and fainting. If left untreated, the mortality rate reaches 50% within two years.

Unlike traditional surgery, where the chest is opened to insert a heart valve, TAVI is a minimally invasive procedure that removes the damaged aortic valve and inserts an artificial valve through the femoral artery in the thigh. This nonsurgical treatment is especially performed on patients over 70 years old or those at high surgical risk with severe aortic valve stenosis. TAVI offers the advantage of a short procedure time and minimal pain, allowing patients to return to daily activities within five to seven days after the procedure.

The Samsung Changwon Hospital TAVI team establishes a personalized treatment plan by comprehensively assessing the patient's condition and severity of disease prior to the procedure, based on a multidisciplinary care system involving the departments of cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, radiology, and anesthesiology and pain medicine.

Director Yonghwan Park of the Cardio Vascular Center at Samsung Changwon Hospital stated, "TAVI is a highly advanced procedure that can be applied safely and effectively even to elderly or high-risk patients with aortic valve stenosis. We will do our utmost to ensure that patients with rapidly increasing severe heart disease can receive high-quality care in their local community."

Meanwhile, the TAVI team at the Cardio Vascular Center of Samsung Changwon Hospital has received independent institution certification for TAVI from two global artificial valve manufacturers, Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic, following its official designation as a TAVI procedure center by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.