Physicians at HonorHealth in Scottsdale, Arizona, have implanted a mitral valve in an elderly patient while her heart was still beating, a new approach that’s less invasive, reports the Phoenix Business Journal.
Placing mitral valves use to require open heart surgery, but using a new bioprosthetic mitral valve lets surgeons place it without stopping the heart. This was the first procedure of its kind performed in the southwest region, said David Rizik, MD, the chief scientific officer and director of structural intervention at HonorHealth.
HonorHealth is currently only performing the procedure on elderly patients, though younger, stronger patients could still be good candidates for it.
“As we learn more about the valve and how durable it is and how long it will last we can then start applying it to a younger, healthier population,” Rizik said.
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Senior Writer
As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.