HOUSTON, TX — (Sept. 17, 2020) — A cardiothoracic surgeon and interventional cardiologist at Houston Methodist West Hospital completed the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure in the Katy area.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Javier Lafuente, M.D., and interventional cardiologist Tariq Dayah, M.D., successfully performed the first minimally invasive surgery on a 78-year-old patient and then performed the second surgery on a 71-year-old patient. Both suffered from aortic valve stenosis, a narrowing of the valve that obstructs blood flow and can lead to heart failure and death.
“TAVR offers patients numerous benefits over traditional valve replacement surgery,” Lafuente said. “With TAVR, we can eliminate the need for open heart surgery. Instead, we access the aortic valve through the femoral artery, or sometimes an incision in the arm, and replace it with a specially designed artificial valve.”
Dayah elaborated, “Quality of care is always at the forefront when considering a treatment plan. Patients undergoing TAVR have less pain and discomfort, faster recovery times and shorter stays at the hospital.”
Dayah and Lafuente led the effort to bring the TAVR procedure to Houston Methodist West Hospital. Dayah is a native Houstonian and trained at the McGovern Medical School at UT Health at the Texas Medical Center. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in over 500 structural heart cases. Lafuente is the medical director of the cardiac surgery program at Houston Methodist West Hospital and has practiced at the hospital since its opening in 2011. During this time, Lafuente has performed over 600 open heart surgeries and has gained recognition for his outstanding outcomes.
The completion of a TAVR surgery is a milestone achievement for Houston Methodist West Hospital’s Valve Clinic, which opened in November 2019. Dayah and Lafuente performed TAVR at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, but a decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made it possible for more institutions to perform the procedure, and both saw the benefits this procedure would have for the community.
“Previously, we would perform all the pre-TAVR appointments at Houston Methodist West Hospital and then we would travel with the patient to Houston Methodist Hospital in the medical center for the procedure,” said Lafuente. “Now, a patient can receive all their care here. We have highly specialized imaging capabilities and operating rooms with the necessary equipment this procedure requires.”
Dayah said the addition of TAVR is part of the hospital’s commitment to providing the community with a comprehensive cardiac surgery program. “Not only is it a beneficial procedure, but it can give a patient peace of mind to stay close to home. When you’re sick, you don’t want to travel far for your treatment. Having all your appointments, surgery and recovery in one location gives patients continuity of care.”
Both physicians also cited the benefit of the Valve Clinic’s affiliation with Houston Methodist Hospital. Patients of the Houston Methodist Valve Clinic at West have access to the hospital system’s clinical trials for a variety of heart valve therapies, expanding opportunities for new procedures and technologies close to home.
To learn more about the Houston Methodist Valve Clinic at West, visit houstonmethodist.org/valve-clinic.