HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center doctors successfully perform innovative heart surgery for first time at hospital

PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 30, 2020) – HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center announced that a team of cardiovascular doctors from the system’s Cardiovascular Center of Excellence has successfully performed the hospital’s first and second transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgeries (TAVR).

The innovative procedure, which received FDA approval for low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis only months ago, is being touted as a game-changer in the field of heart surgery, as it provides an alternative to open-heart surgery for a relatively common heart condition.

“This is not only a great day for HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center, but also a major win for the Deer Valley, north Phoenix and Anthem communities,” Dr. Bimal Padaliya, HonorHealth interventional cardiologist, said. “As our community ages, TAVR offers a very promising solution to a condition that affects one out of every eight people over 75 years old.”

Traditional open-heart surgery is a several-hour procedure, requiring general anesthesia and the opening of the chest wall, so that doctors can cut out the old valve and put a new one in place. Because of the extreme nature of open-heart surgery, full recovery can take weeks, months or even longer, depending on the patient.

TAVR, however, is a far-less invasive procedure with a recovery time of less than a week. In fact, many patients – including the first two patients to receive this treatment at Deer Valley Medical Center – go home the very next day. Doctors make a small incision in the groin and thread a catheter into the diseased region of the heart, where they insert a new valve and displace the old one. The 45-minute procedure is typically performed while the patient is only slightly sedated, reducing the risks associated with anesthesia.

Prior to recent advancements in cardiac operations, surgeons required scalpels, saws and surgical chest spreaders to open the chest wall, which brings with it many other complications and risks. Today’s 3D imaging technology has enabled doctors like Dr. Padaliya, MD, a physician in the HonorHealth Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, to view the regions of the heart and surrounding blood vessels from the inside.

"Minimally invasive surgery has come a long way in recent years, and we are excited to be at the forefront of these procedures," Padaliya said. "Our Deer Valley neighbors can rest easy knowing their neighborhood hospital not only offers state-of-the-art healthcare, but also works diligently to ensure that the care they receive is personal, affordable and simple."

About HonorHealth

HonorHealth is a non-profit, local community healthcare system serving an area of 1.6 million people in the greater Phoenix area. The network encompasses five acute-care hospitals, an extensive medical group, outpatient surgery centers, a cancer care network, clinical research, medical education, a foundation and community services with approximately 12,300 employees, 3,700 affiliated physicians and 3,100 volunteers. HonorHealth was formed by a merger between Scottsdale Healthcare and John C. Lincoln Health Network. HonorHealth’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of those we serve. Learn more at HonorHealth.com.