Treating Heart Valve Disease With Less Invasive Procedures
Gorav Ailawadi, MD, and Scott Lim, MD, offer a full range of options to UVA’s heart valve patients.
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
CLINICAL NEWS: Treating Heart Valve Disease With Less Invasive Procedures
When Stanley Behrens wasn’t able to find a medical center near his home in Corona del Mar, a suburb of Newport Beach, California, to treat his heart’s leaky mitral valve, he turned to UVA.
In his early 90s, Behrens was considered high risk for open heart surgery. But UVA is one of the few centers in the U.S. with expertise in the minimally invasive MitraClip procedure and other options for mitral valve surgery including a small keyhole incision.
“The MitraClip technique is less invasive and often is a good option for patients who are not candidates for open heart procedures,” says UVA cardiologist Scott Lim, MD, an internationally recognized teacher of mitral valve repair using MitraClip. “The patient experiences virtually no pain, a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery.”
The results from Behrens’ September 2013 procedure were excellent. At 92, Behrens lives alone and is able to take care of his home, drive and travel. He also oversees the foundation through which he provides scholarships to students at the University of California-Irvine.
“I believe Dr. Lim is top in his field, and he — along with the rest of UVA’s medical team — provided excellent care,” says Behrens. “The key is that they do a large volume of these procedures. They are very good at what they do.”
UVA provides a full range of complex, open heart valve surgeries as well, treating patients from across Virginia and the U.S. A wide range of specialists — including interventional cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, imaging specialists, geriatricians, pulmonologists and more — work closely together to evaluate each patient holistically and tailor treatments to meet individual needs. This collaborative approach sets UVA apart from its peers and results in excellent outcomes.
“Our specialists have a nationally recognized expertise in treating patients with valve disease and are keen on helping determine the best treatment for each patient,” says cardiovascular surgeon Gorav Ailawadi, MD, the first surgeon in the U.S. to perform catheter-based mitral valve repair. “It’s a very personalized approach that gives our patients the best chance of returning to their normal activities with the quickest recovery.”