Valve and Structural Heart Disease (TAVR)

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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
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 non-surgical replacement (TAVR)
Aortic valve surgical repair and replacement
Surgical mitral valve repair and replacement
Surgical mitral valve repair and replacement
Non-surgical mitral valve repair (Mitra-clip)
Balloon mitral valvuloplasty
Surgical pulmonary valve repair and replacement
Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement
Pulmonary valvuloplasty
Paravalvular leak closure
Surgical maze procedure
Atrial appendage occlusion (Watchman, Amplatzer Amulet and Lariat devices)
Non-Surgical atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
Transcatheter mitral valve replacement
Percutaneous ventricular septal defect repair

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.

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.