“The sutureless valve treats aortic valve disease and is less invasive for patients, which will hopefully make the treatment available to a wider patient population,” says Lee McCann, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Utah Valley Hospital.
The advantages of the new sutureless aortic valve replacement include:
- Minimally invasive incisions. (See photo)
- No permanent sutures. This technology requires only three temporary sutures for placement, not the 15-18 permanent sutures of the standard replacement valve.
- Faster surgical procedure. This new valve is mounted on a stent and expands in the aorta after the surgeon deploys it. The stent secures the valve without permanent suture placement. (See video)
What is Aortic Valve Disease?
Aortic valve disease is diagnosed when the heart valves fail to open and close properly. The implications for the heart can be serious, possibly hampering its ability to pump blood adequately through the body. The disease affects more than half a million people in the United States, and many of them don’t know they’re sick.
Symptoms such as fainting spells, angina, shortness of breath and palpitations often don’t appear until the valve is severely compromised. Valve replacement is the only treatment available, and many patients opt not to go through surgery because of advanced age, lack of severe symptoms or fear of the risk of surgery. The sutureless aortic valve replacement may help alleviate some of those concerns for some heart patients.
“We’re excited to offer this treatment to our patients,” says Dr. McCann. “The goal of all our treatments is to add years to our patients’ lives, and this may make treatment available to more people.”