100 Year-old Patient Receives New Aortic Heart Valve Without Incision

One of handful of centenarians nationwide to undergo procedure

At age 100, Helen Edens has seen the world change. Born Aug. 22, 1914, Edens recalls childhood memories of horse-drawn carts bringing ice blocks to her family's home refrigerator and her father starting the hand-cranked car. Now medical science has given Edens a medical treatment undreamed of in 1914.

On Wednesday, May 27, Edens underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure (TAVR), an advanced cardiac technology that allows physicians to replace the aortic heart valve without making any incisions. To date, she is the oldest patient to receive this procedure at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano and is one of a handful of centenarians in the country to have a TAVR procedure.

"The operative word is transcatheter," explains David Brown, MD, interventional cardiologist on the medical staff and president of the medical staff, The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano. "This is the first time you can replace the aortic heart valve with no incision.  The valve is inserted through a needle stick in the femoral artery. The entire procedure can be completed with no incisions on the chest, no incisions anywhere."

As some people age, their aortic valve narrows. The valve opening, where blood is pumped through, goes from the size of a silver dollar to the size of a pencil. This condition, known as aortic stenosis, affects up to 7 percent of the U.S. population over age 65.

"When the valve narrows, blood flow to the body's organs decreases," explains Dr. Brown. "So the body is not getting adequate blood or oxygenation. Patients get fatigued. Eventually they become short of breath and have no exercise capacity." They can develop chest pain or pass out. Patients may progress to congestive heart failure.

Until age 97, Edens managed her home in Tulsa, Okla., drove to the grocery store, played bridge and maintained an active life. Now living with her children, she still stays busy. "I work puzzles and things like that," Helen said. "I like to walk out and around the block. I used to be pretty athletic. I belonged to the local YMCA and liked basketball." She played forward on the YMCA adult women's team in Tulsa. Older patients, such as Edens, benefit from TAVR technology, which typically means shorter time in the operating room, less anesthesia and less time in the hospital post-procedure.

About TAVR
This minimally invasive surgical procedure repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve. Instead, it wedges a replacement valve into the aortic valve's place. The surgery is called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The first percutaneous aortic valve replacement was performed at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano in the Edwards US Pivotal Aortic Stent Valve PARTNER Trial. The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano and Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital continue to pursue research into new cardiac procedures through Baylor Research Institute. Learn more at www.baylorhealth.edu/research

 
# # #

About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com