Lankenau Medical Center performs first minimally invasive procedure for aortic regurgitation in Philadelphia region
Clinical trial establishes Lankenau as one of the most comprehensive heart valve centers nationally by offering yet another alternative to open-heart surgery.
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).
Nick Amoroso, MD; Jeremy Lane, RN; Basel Ramlawi, MD, Eric Gnall, DO; Stanley Oliveira, RN;
Chris Torretti (JenaValve); Frank De La Huerta (JenaValve).
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 MitraClip™, 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.
About Lankenau Medical Center
Founded in 1860, Lankenau Medical Center is recognized among the top hospitals in the Philadelphia region for exceptional patient care. We offer a comprehensive range of primary care, disease prevention, and specialized medical and surgical services, including advanced treatments in cardiovascular, cancer care, maternity and orthopaedics and a level II trauma center.
Neonatologists from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provide specialized newborn and neonatal intensive care in our level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
A leader in medical education, Lankenau Medical Center trains a diverse group of residents and fellows participating in various programs across multiple specialties. The hospital is also home to the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, where groundbreaking research advances the detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and offers access to clinical trials.
Lankenau Medical Center combines compassionate care with cutting-edge technology in a patient-centered environment.
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. Using its ACAPRENEURIALTM organizational model that integrates academic and entrepreneurial approaches, faculty and staff are devoted to advancing innovative new strategies to address formidable medical challenges including cancer, cardiovascular disease, tissue regeneration, gastrointestinal disorders and autoimmune diseases such as arthritis. LIMR's principal investigators conduct basic, preclinical and clinical 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 the Philadelphia region and beyond. Main Line Health consists of five hospitals, six health centers and over 150 medical practice locations. The System has more than 14,000 employees and over 2,100 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
At its 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 Rehab Hospital. Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, providing skilled home healthcare, 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; and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization.
Main Line Health's medical staff benefits from a collaborative relationship including independent physicians, community healthcare professionals and hospital-based experts from Main Line HealthCare, the employed multi-specialty physician network of Main Line Health.
Main Line Health collaborates with top experts to deliver exceptional specialty care. Through our affiliation with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, doctors and advanced practice providers care for pediatric patients at select Main Line Health locations, including the neonatal intensive care units at Main Line Health's four acute care hospitals, as well as Bryn Mawr Hospital's Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care, and trauma surgeons provide critical care to our patients. Through our affiliation with Sheppard Pratt — a nonprofit provider of mental health services, substance use, developmental disability and other comprehensive behavioral health support — patients receive compassionate care in a welcoming environment.
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