Traditional open-heart procedures have always been considered serious because of the risks involved. Adventist Midwest Health is changing the way we think about these surgeries with breakthrough minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.

Minimally invasive, maximum benefits
Compared to traditional open-heart surgeries, minimally invasive procedures are less painful because they require much smaller incisions, which allows for a faster recovery. “Undergoing a minimally invasive procedure greatly reduces the risks associated with surgery,” says Dominick Stella, MD, an interventional cardiology and vascular medicine specialist with Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital.

According to Dr. Stella, some of the newest minimally invasive procedures are geared toward treating valvular and congenital heart conditions. “New technology is now allowing us to treat a broader range of patients,” he says.

Treating valvular heart disease
Valvular heart disease refers to any disease that affects the valves of the heart. Minimally invasive procedures are now used to treat complications affecting two important heart valves:

• Mitral valve: If your mitral valve doesn’t close properly, blood can flow backward into the heart, causing a condition known as mitral regurgitation. “Until now, the only option we had to treat this was opening up the chest to repair the valve,” says Dr. Stella. A recent, large clinical trial showed that rather than opening the patient’s chest to make repairs, doctors could create a small incision through the groin or neck.
• Aortic valve: This valve pumps blood to the entire body, but when it doesn’t open as wide as it should, a condition known as aortic stenosis occurs. A new technology called transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) allows doctors to treat this condition minimally invasively. Instead of replacing the valve, TAVI includes inserting a new, manufactured valve inside the diseased valve. “When compared to open-heart surgery, this procedure has cut a patient’s risk of death by 50 percent,” says Dr. Stella.

Treating congenital heart disease
The advent of minimally invasive techniques has also improved the way congenital heart defects are treated. Congenital conditions are problems that appear at birth. New procedures are helping treat:

• Holes in the heart: Atrial septal defects and patent foramen ovales are two of the most common kinds. Once operable only through open-chest surgery, these holes can now be closed with a needle that is fed through a tiny incision in the groin. “Before, patients were in the hospital three to five days,” Dr. Stella says. “We can now make these repairs using an outpatient procedure.”

Interventional cardiologists perform minimally invasive heart procedures using X-rays and ultrasound, which allows them to see inside the body without opening it up. These procedures are performed at all four Adventist Midwest Health hospitals. Here, patients can find state-of-the-art equipment and procedures that can help them feel better, faster.

Take your cardiac health to heart. Learn about all our Heart Score screenings and events in February by calling 866-533-7968.