Saint Thomas Heart is First in State to Perform this Alternative to Open Heart Surgery

Saint Thomas Heart has successfully completed Tennessee’s first Tendyne mitral valve replacement. This valve, developed by Abbott, is part of an international clinical trial that will ultimately include as many as 350 patients at 40 centers.

Dr. Evelio Rodriguez, Dr. Andrew Morse, and Dr. Chandrashekhar Ramaiah performed the operation, which took place in a 2-hour surgery at Saint Thomas West on April 26, 2019. The implanted device being studied seeks to correct a leaking mitral valve, which is the back-flow of blood as it leaves the left atrium and enters the heart’s left ventricle.

The patient implanted with the Tendyne Mitral Valve System was not a candidate for redo open heart surgery. Untreated mitral valve leaking can lead to heart failure. Transcatheter valve replacement procedures like Tendyne offer a less invasive option to patients because they avoid the need for open heart surgery.

“Participating in the clinical trial to evaluate the Tendyne Mitral Valve System is an opportunity for Saint Thomas Heart to serve people who have previously been denied options because of their anatomy, previous open-heart surgery, and multiple other risk factors ” said Dr. Evelio Rodriguez, the Saint Thomas Heart chief cardiac surgeon. “We are honored to be the first in the state to offer and perform performing this ground-breaking intervention.” The Saint Thomas Heart patient was discharged from the hospital a few days after the procedure and is doing well.

Saint Thomas Heart is pleased to offer many transcatheter treatment options for patients with complex valve diseases. These therapies are available as part of innovative clinical trials, in addition to well-established therapies. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Saint Thomas Valve clinic at (615) 222-3944.