Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation (PPVI)
Every year, some 200,000 people in the U.S. need a new heart (or pulmonary) valve. About 1000 percutaneous pulmonary valve implants are performed on an annual basis in the U.S. Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation offers patients, young and old, a revolutionary alternative to open heart surgery. The procedure allows access to the aortic valve percutaneously (through the skin).
Here in the Gulf South, Ochsner is the only hospital with a comprehensive PPVI program. We have all of the FDA-approved valves at our disposal, including the Melody® Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve and the Edwards SAPIEN Valve.
First Means “Most Experienced”
Ochsner physicians performed the first non-surgical heart valve replacement in the region. Since the inception of our valve program, we have performed nearly 1000 implants including pulmonary, aortic, tricuspid and mitral valves – far more than any other team in the Gulf South. We are one of the select few centers in the world that can replace valves in all positions. What’s more, we have one of the shortest lengths of stays in the nation for valve implant patients, allowing patients to return home sooner.
Non-Surgical Valve Implantation offers:
- A non-surgical and less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery for a congenital heart defect
- Shorter hospital stays with quicker discharge times
- Decreased number of operations for patients
- Improved quality of life