May 3, 2017 — The Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital (BHVH) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) team recently placed the first commercially approved CoreValve Evolut Pro system in Texas. This is also the first Evolut Pro valve placed in a failed bioprosthetic (tissue) aortic valve in the United States.
“The Evolut PRO has a unique ‘skirt’ around the valve that helps minimize leakage; one of the greatest potential risks for TAVR patient outcomes,” said Robert Stoler, M.D., co-medical director of cardiology and medical director, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital catheterization lab. “In this procedure, we replaced an old, surgically implanted bioprosthetic aortic valve using a minimally invasive approach, without open-heart surgery.”
During a catheter-based TAVR procedure, an interventional cardiologist or cardiothoracic surgeon makes a small incision in the leg (transfemoral approach), upper chest (direct aortic approach) or shoulder (subclavian approach) to access the vasculature, and then guides the new valve into position to replace the failing aortic valve. Once in place, the device expands and takes over the original valves function to enable blood to flow efficiently out of the heart.
“The addition of the Evolut PRO valve to the program at BHVH continues to bring an advanced generation of research and commercially available valves to aortic stenosis patients in the North Texas region,” Stoler added. “We are pleased to be the first in Texas and one of the first in the U.S. to use this new technology.”
Aortic stenosis is a common problem caused by a narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve due to excessive calcium deposits on the valve leaflets. When the valve narrows, it does not open or close properly, making the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Eventually, this may cause the heart to weaken, potentially leading to heart failure and increased risk for sudden cardiac death.
Interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons on the BHVH medical staff have performed TAVR procedures in patients with aortic stenosis for more than five years and recently reached their 500th TAVR.
For more information: www.medtronic.com
May 02, 2025 
