Morristown Medical Center First Hospital in New Jersey to Implant Newly Approved Heart Valve
Morristown, NJ (PRWEB) July 28, 2015 -- Morristown Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, today announced it was the first hospital in New Jersey, and one of the first five hospitals in the nation, to implant the newly approved CoreValve® Evolut® R System from Medtronic. The system was implanted in three patients on July 23, and all are in good condition.
The CoreValve® Evolut® R System was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) on June 23 for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in people with severe aortic stenosis—a narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve—who are at high or extreme risk for surgery.
It is estimated that 500,000 people in the United States have severe aortic stenosis. If untreated, severe symptomatic aortic stenosis carries a poor prognosis with a two-year mortality rate of 50-60 percent and a three-year survival rate of less than 30 percent.
“TAVR has revolutionized the way we are treating people diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis,” said John Brown, a cardiac surgeon at the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center. “Before TAVR, our only clinical option was an invasive open-heart surgery, which may not be safe or appropriate for people who are too high risk to even qualify for the surgery. Now, we are able to treat a broader range of people in a less invasive way with good clinical outcomes.”
Though only recently approved, this procedure is not new to Morristown Medical Center; the hospital had the second highest number of patients in the country enrolled in the clinical trial to get the device approved by the FDA.
“Some of the options we offer our patients with heart problems have already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but by participating in clinical trials, like the one for the CoreValve® Evolut™ R System, we are able to offer our patient population some of the latest technology not yet available,” said Donna Marie Watridge, nurse manager of cardiac research at Morristown Medical Center.
Morristown Medical Center's Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute performs more heart surgeries than any other hospital in New Jersey and was ranked a top hospital nationwide for cardiology & heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information, visit http://www.atlantichealth.org/heart.
About Morristown Medical Center
Morristown Medical Center, located in Morristown, NJ, is part of Atlantic Health System, one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey, which also includes Overlook Medical Center in Summit, Newton Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains and Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Morristown Medical Center was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top hospital nationwide for cardiology and heart surgery, gynecology, geriatrics, orthopedics and pulmonology. Morristown Medical Center also ranked as a “Best Regional Hospital” for cancer, diabetes & endocrinology, neurology and neurosurgery, as well as gastroenterology & GI Surgery, nephrology and urology. The Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center encompasses the largest cardiovascular program in New Jersey, performing more than 1,500 heart surgeries annually, more than any other cardiovascular facility in the state. Morristown Medical Center is verified as a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and designated a Level II by the state of New Jersey and was re-designated a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service, the highest level of recognition by American Nurses Credentialing Center for facilities that provide acute care services, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of U.S. hospitals. For more information, visit http://www.atlantichealth.org/morristown.
Elaine Andrecovich, Atlantic Health System, +1 973 971 4932, [email protected]
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