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
Lankenau Medical Center, part 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 institution, Lankenau is committed to maintaining high-level expertise across all clinical areas and is consistently recognized for providing outstanding care across major specialties including heart and vascular care, cancer care, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, pulmonology, neurosurgery, nephrology and urology. Lankenau is ranked as one of the top three hospitals in the region and top seven in the state by U.S. News & World Report 2023-24. It is rated a high performer in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating.
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 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 diabetes and 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 Philadelphia and its suburbs. Main Line Health's commitment — to deliver safe, high-quality, equitable and affordable care 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 more than 13,000 employees and over 2,100 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers care for patients throughout Main Line Health.
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 Rehab 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 the prestigious American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize, highest tier ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Overall Hospital Quality and systemwide recognition in the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. 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.
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