Edwards Sapien 3 Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve System With Alterra Adaptive Prestent, an Alternative to Open Heart Surgery
Newark, NJ, (September 22, 2022) – Earlier this year, cardiologists at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, became the first in the state to successfully implant the Sapien 3 Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve System with Alterra Adaptive Prestent on a congenital heart disease patient.
On July 7, 2022, the team performed the minimally invasive procedure, marking a significant advancement in treatment options for congenital heart disease patients in the state of New Jersey.
The Edwards Sapien 3 Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve System with Alterra Adaptive Prestent is used to treat congenital heart disease patients with leaky or narrowed pulmonary valves. A condition commonly found in patients with congenital heart disease.
Teenagers and young adults living with congenital heart disease are often ineligible for minimally invasive transcatheter valve implantation due to limitations and constraints related to the size and structure of their heart valves. As the life expectancy of these patients increases so does the number of open-heart surgeries needed in a lifetime. This new system allows these younger patients to receive a pulmonary valve without undergoing open heart surgery.
“The availability of this system means that patients who in the past would automatically need surgery no longer need to endure invasive open-heart surgery to treat their congenital heart disease,” said Rajiv Verma, MD, FSCAI, FACC, pediatric and adult congenital heart disease specialist, interventional cardiologist, and Director of the Children’s Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (CHoNJ), who performed the procedure. “Most of the patients who are eligible for the procedure are teenagers and young adults. Not only does the new system allow for quicker recovery, patients are typically discharged in a day and can resume regular activities within a week, but it can help keep young patients potentially free of cardiac surgery for an additional 10-20 years.”
“Advances in diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease mean patients are now living well into adulthood,” said Marc Cohen, MD, FACC, Chair of the Department of Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “As the only hospital in New Jersey currently offering access to the Edwards Sapien 3 Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve System with Alterra Adaptive Prestent we are proud to be able to bring a treatment to patients that can significantly reduce the number of surgeries and procedures during their lifetimes and help improve their overall quality of life.”
The Children’s Heart Center at CHoNJ at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. The Children’s Heart Center at CHoNJ at NBIMC is the state's largest, most comprehensive, and only heart center offering a complete range of diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of children with heart problems, as well as expectant mothers whose fetus may have a heart problem. For more information visit Pediatric Heart Care.
About Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 15 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,100 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), which cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey – the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to local residents.
Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), located at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers New Jersey’s only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns.
Media Contact
Linda Kamateh
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