Valve and Structural Heart Disease (TAVR)

Every year, more than five million people in America are diagnosed with heart valve disease and structural heart disease. Here in the Gulf South, many of those patients seek care at the Heart Valve Center at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute (JOHVI). Our award-winning, nationally ranked team has the talent, experience and innovative equipment required to treat patients with complex native heart valve disease, artificial valvular heart disease and structural heart disease. This includes patients with high-risk mitral valve disorders and end-stage aortic stenosis.

Why Heart Valve Disease Treatment at Ochsner?

The team at the Ochsner Heart Valve Center routinely performs a high volume of both traditional and minimally invasive procedures, including transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). Across the country and here at Ochsner, this procedure is extending the lives of more and more intermediate and high-risk patients who aren’t candidates for open-heart surgery. Since the program’s inception, Ochsner has performed more than 2,000 TAVR cases and has been recognized for having one of the shortest lengths of stays in the nation for TAVR patients.

When it comes to matters of the heart, you want experience on your side. You want the Ochsner Heart Valve team at your bedside.

Award-Winning Care

The John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute was awarded the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Certification by the American College of Cardiology.
Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as “High Performing” in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) care.

Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Aortic stenosis and regurgitation
Aortic aneurysm
Aortic insufficiency: A condition where the aortic valve doesn’t close properly, causing blood to leak backward into the heart
Aortic valvular disease, including aortic stenosis: Problems with the aortic valve, such as narrowing (stenosis) or leaking, that affect blood flow
Bicuspid aortic valve: A condition where the aortic valve has only two flaps instead of the normal three, which can lead to valve problems
Complex combined coronary artery and valvular heart disease
Failing artificial heart valves
Mitral valve prolapse
Mitral stenosis and regurgitation
Pulmonary stenosis and regurgitation
Tricuspid stenosis and regurgitation

Aortic valve replacement (TAVR) non-surgical: Minimally invasive procedure to replace a damaged aortic valve without open-heart surgery
Aortic valve surgical repair
Aortic valve replacement
Aortic root replacement (Bentall procedure): Surgery to replace the aortic root and valve, often with a synthetic graft
Atrial appendage occlusion (Watchman, Amplatzer Amulet and Lariat devices)
Balloon mitral valvuloplasty
Non-Surgical atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
Non-surgical mitral valve repair (Mitra-clip)
Percutaneous ventricular septal defect repair
Pulmonary valvuloplasty
Paravalvular leak closure
Surgical maze procedure
Surgical mitral valve repair and replacement
Surgical pulmonary valve repair and replacement
Transcatheter mitral valve replacement
Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement
Valve sparing aortic root replacement (David procedure): Surgery to repair the aortic root while preserving the patient’s natural aortic valve.

Cardiac catheterization and stenting
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (Cardiac MRI) – a state-of-the-art, radiation-free test that lets our doctors see inside your body without having to perform surgery.
Cardiac CTA (coronary computed tomography angiography, non-invasive angiograms)
Intra-cardiac ultrasound

The heart has four valves: the tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic.

Heart valves can have three basic problems:

Regurgitation (or backflow): Occurs when a valve doesn't close tightly. Blood leaks back into the chambers when it should flow forward through the heart or into an artery. This happens most often as a result of prolapse. Prolapse is when the flaps of the valve flop or bulge back into an upper heart chamber during a heartbeat.
Stenosis: Occurs if the flaps of a valve thicken, stiffen or fuse together, preventing the valve from fully opening and allowing enough blood to flow through.
Atresia: Occurs when a valve lacks an opening, making it impossible for blood to pass through.

Doctor holding red heart in the palm of their hands.

Southshore Region Ochsner Flight Care Hurricane Ida 2

An Ochsner First in Cardiology

Our TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) program has completed more than 2,000 cases since its inception and is recognized as having one of the shortest length of stays in the United States.