NEW YORK, May 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lenox Hill Hospital, a member of the North Shore –LIJ Health System, today announced that it has implanted the first Portico™ Transcatheter Aortic Valve System in the United States. The procedure was performed in a trial evaluating the first aortic heart valve that can be repositioned until fully deployed. The trial will enroll patients who are considered at high risk for open-heart surgery.
The PORTICO trial is evaluating a new valve and delivery system in patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis – a narrowing of the aortic valve that significantly impedes blood from flowing from the heart. During transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, a heart valve is delivered via a catheter using either a transfemoral (through the artery in the leg) or an alternative access approach in order to gain access to the heart. The valve is positioned in the patient's heart as it continues to beat, alleviating the need for cardiopulmonary bypass, where a machine takes over a patient's heart and lung function. Patients are evaluated by a heart team consisting of a cardiac surgeon and an interventional cardiologist.
The first implants in the trial were conducted the same day on opposite coasts of the U.S. Gregory P. Fontana, MD, chairman of cardiothoracic surgery and Carlos Ruiz, MD, director of the hospital's Structural and Congenital Heart Disease Program, performed the TAVR procedure at Lenox Hill Hospital. Dr. Fontana serves as national co-principal investigator for the trial. The other procedure was performed at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles.
"As we continue to collect clinical evidence on the best way to treat patients identified as high risk for open-heart valve replacement procedures, the Portico valve delivery system represents a life-saving treatment option for patients who might not otherwise be eligible for surgery," said Dr. Fontana.
"This new valve will simplify the implant procedure and minimize the risks for our patients. The ability to reposition this valve will help us achieve an accurate placement of the valve," said Dr. Ruiz.
This prospective, multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Portico TAVR System in reducing the risk of death and disabling stroke in patients with high or extreme surgical risk for open-heart valve replacement surgery.
About Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital, a member of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, is a 652-bed, fully accredited, acute care hospital located on Manhattan's Upper East Side with a national reputation for outstanding patient care and innovative medical and surgical treatments. US News & World Report has ranked the hospital among the nation's top 50 in Cardiology and Heart Surgery, and Ear, Nose and Throat, and among the top 10 hospitals in the state of New York with a total of 10 "high performing" designations for its clinical performance in Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology. It is also recognized nationally as a leader maternal/child health and offers a wide range of services in radiology, and medical and surgical specialties. For more information, go to www.lenoxhillhospital.org