Temple University Hospital Offering "Valve-in-Valve" Treatment Option for Aortic Valve Replacement

Temple University Hospital is offering a first-of-its kind minimally invasive option for high risk patients in need of a second aortic valve replacement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the approved use of the CoreValve® System to treat these patients on March 30.

This treatment using the CoreValve® System is known as "valve-in-valve" replacement, and is designed for patients who previously underwent open-heart surgery to replace a faulty valve with an artificial heart valve made of animal tissue. As time goes by, these artificial heart valves wear out, making a second replacement necessary.

The FDA approval means health insurance companies and Medicare will now cover this procedure for patients in need of the replacement who are also at high risk for complications associated with traditional open-heart surgery. Until now, these high risk patients were not able to obtain coverage for the procedure and had limited treatment options for this life-threatening condition.

"Many patients have been eagerly waiting for this and now that it is here, they can get the treatment they need," says Grayson H. Wheatley III, MD, FACS, Director of Aortic and Endovascular Surgery at Temple University Hospital, and Associate Professor of Surgery at Temple University School of Medicine. “This is a huge opportunity for patients because it avoids the need for a second high risk surgery.”

During the "valve-in-valve" procedure, a cardiologist, cardiovascular surgeon and the rest of the clinical team work together to implant the CoreValve®. Initially the valve is compressed into a catheter and then inserted through an artery in the groin. With X-ray guidance, the catheter is guided to the heart and the failing artificial valve. The valve is then deployed from the end of the catheter, at which point it expands on its own and anchors to the old failed valve. Once the valve is in place, it restores the function of the aortic valve.

"The 'valve-in-valve' replacement is a very straight-forward procedure that I believe a lot of patients will prefer to a second open heart surgery," says Howard A. Cohen, MD, Director of Interventional Cardiology and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at Temple University Hospital, and Professor of Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine. "This is a great option for older patients and others deemed high risk for traditional open surgery."

Editor's Note: Dr. Wheatley is a paid consultant for Medtronic, manufacturer of the CoreValve®. Neither Dr. Cohen nor any members of his immediate family have financial interest in Medtronic.