UnityPoint Health is celebrating its 500th patient to successfully receive a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the Quad Cities.
The 500th procedure was performed by Dr. Bouyella Reddy, Cardiovascular Medicine, P.C., and Dr. Alyas Chaudhry, Cardiac Surgery Associates, S.C. The procedure was first offered by UnityPoint Health – Trinity in 2016.
Since then, its TAVR program has gone on to earn a three-star TAVR rating for high-quality outcomes from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology (STS/ACC TVT Registry.) UnityPoint Health – Trinity is the only site in Illinois to earn the highest achievement.
“We are proud to be the Quad Cities’ premier heart care center. This milestone is a testament to the quality of care we provide at Trinity Heart Center,” said Kathy Pulley, director of cardiology services at UnityPoint Health – Trinity. “This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of our highly-skilled staff and physicians.”
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat severe aortic stenosis, a common type of heart valve disease. The procedure restores healthy blood flow by replacing a diseased aortic valve with an artificial one.
“Severe aortic stenosis is a common heart condition amongst elderly population in our community. Traditionally, they could only be treated with open heart surgery,” Dr. Reddy said in UnityPoint’s news release. “However, replacing this valve with the novel procedure of TAVR is a real blessing for these patients.”
Arden Johnson is one of the 500 people to receive a successful TAVR procedure at UnityPoint Health. The 80-year-old struggled with heart valve issues for several years causing difficulty breathing and tightness in his chest.
Mr. Johnson’s cardiologist recommended TAVR and in December 2022, he underwent the procedure. He was able to return home the following day and says it’s made a huge difference in his everyday life.
“I felt a big difference almost immediately,” Mr. Johnson said in the release. “Before the procedure, it would take me two hours to mow the yard because I would need to stop and catch my breath every few minutes, now it takes me 45 minutes. I’m also able to walk up and down the stairs without any issues.”
He added: “I feel like I’ve gotten years back on my life. I’m grateful for the amazing care I received from the Trinity team.”
TAVR procedures are performed in the state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab hybrid operating room suite at UnityPoint Health’s Rock Island hospital. Patients with severe aortic stenosis must qualify for TAVR based on the structural heart team evaluating them for any combination of comorbidities, frailty and/or organ system compromises. The guidelines are set forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
To make an appointment or for more information, call (309) 779-3140 or visit unitypoint.org.
