MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 19, 2017
(LONDON, Ontario) –LONDON, Ontario – The cardiac team at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is the first in Ontario to implant the Canadian made Neovasc Tiara transcatheter device to correct a leaky mitral valve. The surgery was successfully performed on a 69 year old patient on November 15, 2016 and the patient is fully recovered.
“Our cardiac team aims to adopt and utilize the latest proven minimally invasive trancatheter devices to offer our patients lifesaving treatment options otherwise inaccessible to them,” says Dr. Bob Kiaii, cardiac surgeon, LHSC. Without a surgical intervention, patients with valvular heart disease suffer from shortness of breath, fatigue, and live with a risk of heart failure and death.
Tiara is implanted in the heart using a minimally-invasive transcatheter approach and is designed to replace the diseased native mitral valve without the need for open heart surgery or use of a cardiac bypass machine. Once inserted, the device sits precisely where the valve is supposed to be and is aligned with the individual anatomy of the patient.
“There are patients whose medical history and particular anatomy exclude them from conventional treatment techniques, such as open heart surgery, and other minimally invasive open heart valve surgical procedures,” adds Dr. Kiaii. “The Tiara provides a treatment option for these patients.”
LHSC’s first patient to receive the new mitral implant had undergone several previous heart procedures as a result of his valvular heart disease, making him a very high risk to undergo conventional valve replacement.
The minimally invasive procedure restores normal blood flow through the heart and the rest of the body and reduces leakage around the valve. Immediately following surgery the heart pumps blood more efficiently and eventually patients are able to breathe regularly and regain their strength.
“Our first procedure was performed successfully and we are delighted to have access to another tool that will improve the health and quality of the life of our patients who otherwise would have no other options,” says Dr. Kiaii.
About London Health Science Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 142 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 65 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Marek Kubow
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 75155
marek.kubow@lhsc.on.ca
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Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call.
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