ROCK HILL, S.C. ― Piedmont Medical Center – Rock Hill recently treated its first patient using the Evolut™ FX+ transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system, a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgical aortic valve replacement.

Piedmont Medical – Rock Hill is one of the first hospitals in the Piedmont Region to provide this new TAVR system, which further refines the trusted TAVR platform, designed to facilitate coronary access, for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (ssAS). The first procedure at Piedmont Medical – Rock Hill was performed by the heart team, led by Dr. Gangadhar Malasana and Dr. Arun Nagabandi.

Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve leaflets become stiff and thickened and have difficulty opening and closing, making the heart work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body. The disease can impact quality of life and limits one’s ability to participate in daily activities. If left untreated, 50 percent of patients with ssAS can die from heart failure in as little as two years.

 The newest iteration of the Evolut TAVR system offers larger coronary access windows through a modified diamond-shaped frame design, which is four times larger than previous iterations of the Evolut TAVR system. The Evolut FX+ system provides increased space designed for catheter maneuverability to facilitate access the coronary arteries of varying patient anatomies. Additionally, the new design maintains the valve performance, excellent hemodynamics, and radial strength that clinicians expect from the Evolut platform.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the Evolut FX+ TAVR system, providing physicians at Piedmont Medical Center – Rock Hill with another option to treat the growing ssAS patient population.

"It is encouraging to see how the Evolut FX TAVR platform has evolved considerably over time and brought our heart teams another treatment option. With this FDA approval of the Evolut FX+ TAVR system, a system we already trust is now designed to facilitate coronary access while maintaining the performance and durability the Evolut TAVR platform is known for," said Teresa Urquhart, Market CEO of Piedmont Medical Center.  “We are proud to provide physicians at Piedmont Medical – Rock Hill another option to treat patients with ssAS in York County and beyond.”

If you or someone you know has symptoms of ssAS, talk to your doctor to see if TAVR is a possible treatment option.