Bethesda Heart Hospital, in Boynton Beach, announced July 25 that it was the first hospital in Palm Beach County to use a sutureless valve for aortic valve replacement surgery.
The Perceval valve for aortic valve replacements allows surgeons to replace diseased valves without the use of sutures.
“With more than 60,000 surgical aortic valve replacement procedures every year in the U.S., we are faced with a challenge to better treat patients with a simplified procedure approach with superior patient outcomes,” Dr. Juan Montoya says in a hospital press release. “As a new option for surgical aortic valve replacement, the Perceval sutureless valve helps reduce the complexity of an aortic valve replacement procedure by optimizing the speed and efficiency of the operation.“
Among the benefits for these patients, according to the release, is that compared to valves that have to be sutured in place, sutureless aortic valve replacement reduces the time needed to stop the heart from beating as surgeons position the new valve. Patients, as a result, spend less time under anesthesia and on the cardiac-lung bypass machine. This can lead to faster recoveries and fewer complications.
“I am delighted with the outcome of our 63-year-old patient today,” Dr. Montoya says. “This biological valve makes it possible for her to avoid taking blood thinners for the rest of her life. We expect this new valve will last her 15 to 25 years.”
Dr. Montoya’s father and fellow cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Alvaro Montoya assisted in this first such case in Palm Beach County. The elder Montoya is a Miami-Dade surgeon and has done research on the Perceval device. The father and son team has performed more than 1,500 cardiovascular surgeries together in South Florida since 1999.
For more information, click here.
