News & Information

What do you do when you need an aortic heart valve replacement, but the surgery is too risky?

Until now, elderly heart failure patients have had only one option: risky open-heart surgery that can cause potential complications or even death. Now, the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center have pioneered a new, less invasive valve replacement treatment that does not stop the heart or involve bypass surgery.

The technique, called transcatheter aortic valve replacement, can insert a new valve without opening the patient’s chest. Doctors make a small incision in a groin-area vein and insert a catheter carrying a replacement valve.

“This procedure has the potential to dramatically reduce the risk of valve replacement, particularly in elderly, high-risk patients with a much quicker return to full activity in our patients,” says Ralph Damiano Jr., MD, chief of cardiac surgery at Barnes-Jewish and Washington University School of Medicine.

Now, the 30,000 high-risk patients who need valve replacement every year can undergo this non-invasive procedure and avoid the dangers of open-heart surgery.

If you believe you are at risk for heart failure, it’s vital that you have enough money to pay for the right treatment. Your standard health insurance may not pay for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, so taking out a supplemental insurance policy is a wide decision. CancerPlans.com offers a wide variety of critical illness insurance policies, allowing you to compare top-rated carriers, choose a policy and apply for the best insurance available.

(1) http://www.barnesjewish.org/about/annual-reports/2011-annual-report/breakthrough-for-high-risk-heart-patients