Beebe structural heart team completes 200th TAVR procedure

Beebe Healthcare’s structural heart team recently reached a clinical milestone with completion of its 200 transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure.

This minimally invasive technique for heart valve replacement is performed using a small incision in the groin area, as opposed to a large, open incision across the chest. Using a remarkably thin catheter, interventional cardiologists then route and place a new aortic valve in the patient’s heart. This new valve replaces the original, diseased valve, and is capable of immediately regulating blood flow in and out of the heart. TAVR, available at Beebe since 2020, is recognized as a good option for many patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis, from mild cases to the most severe.

The multidisciplinary structural heart team is led by interventional cardiologists Mouhanad Freih, MD, and Ehtasham Qureshi, MD, and cardiac surgeons Steven Marra, MD, and Ted Stephenson, MD, who are committed to providing top-quality heart care in Sussex County. Annie Villalobos, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, leads coordination of the structural heart team, and Tracy Belcher, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CCRP, serves as director of operations for cardiovascular services.

The heart team is celebrating more than just the number of procedures; quality of care provided for patients is at the forefront. Beebe’s team has a 0% stroke rate post-procedure in the last year, placing it in the top 10% nationally, and a 0% all-cause readmission rate, significantly lower than its peers.