Since its start in 1983, Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) has followed through on its mission to provide the highest quality cardiovascular care available. For the past 40 years, in line with this mission, CIS has placed a consistent focus on pioneering new techniques and technologies to treat heart disease, always looking for the latest in cardiovascular innovation and research. CIS provides minimally-invasive procedures to treat life-threatening valve disorders and structural heart defects through its Structural Heart Program. With a combined team of interventional cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, the Structural Heart Program offers innovative solutions for patients with heart valve disease and structural heart defects.
One of the most groundbreaking procedures CIS performs is a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)—CIS will celebrate 100 TAVR cases with Baton Rouge General Medical Center in April of 2022. As opposed to open-heart surgical valve replacement, TAVR uses a catheter-based technique to go through the groin to repair the defective valve, meaning a faster and smoother recovery for the patient. The new valve contains a collapsed balloon on one end which is placed inside a patient’s diseased valve and inflated, immediately restoring blood flow from the heart. This is done while the patient’s heart is still beating and results in a quicker recovery time. Though TAVR is not a replacement for traditional valve repair or replacement surgeries, it is a less-invasive option for those with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are considered too high-risk for other surgical alternatives.
Another popular procedure uses a device called the Watchman to treat those suffering from atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. This one-time heart implant reduces stroke risk and eliminates the need to take blood thinners. About the size of a quarter, the Watchman device is placed into the left atrial appendage (LAA) of the heart, where 90 percent of stroke-causing blood clots are formed. The device permanently closes off this part of the heart to keep blood clots from escaping. This non-invasive procedure takes about an hour in a cardiac catheterization lab or hybrid operating room, and the post-procedure hospital stay is one day, with the possibility of being discharged home the same day.
“We are thrilled to offer our patients better quality of life thanks to procedures like TAVR and Watchman,” said Dr. Garland Green, interventional cardiologist and Baton Rouge Medical Director. “You can trust CIS to continue bringing the latest, most advanced cardiovascular treatments to our patients.”
