Page 5 - Take Heart news 162

LGI CARRIES OUT 1000
TH

TAVI PROCEDURE

A specialist cardiovascular procedure, risk of open-heart surgery is unacceptably
that enables an aortic valve to be replaced high.
without the need for open-heart surgery, Leeds has been involved in a number of
using a catheter inserted through a blood studies assessing TAVI use. One of these
vessel in the groin, has been carried out studies is UK TAVI, a national TAVI study
in the Cardiac Catheter suite at Leeds comparing the clinical effectiveness of the
Teaching Hospitals 1000 times.
procedure against conventional treatment
The success of the service is thanks to in patients with severe symptomatic aortic
the dedication of a wide range of staff, stenosis who are at intermediate or high
doctors, secretaries, admin, porters, operative risk.
outpatient and research staff, nurses, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust is one
healthcare scientists, radiographers, ward of the largest TAVI centres in the UK,
staff from L14, L19 and L20 (coronary care with the highest survival rates amongst
unit).
patients undergoing the procedure, both
The procedure, known as Transcatheter in the immediate period post-surgery and
Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is longer-term.
particularly used in patients for whom the

The photograph shows, from L-R:
nurses, Kerry Pena, Tracey Ware,
Jayne Gabbitas, Sarah Jobson,
Kathryn Somers and Helen Reed
with Dr Chris Malkin and James
Little the 1000th TAVI patient.