YRMC celebrates 10th anniversary of its lifesaving TAVR procedure
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) is celebrating 10 years of its lifesaving TAVR heart procedure.
TAVR is a minimally invasive heart procedure that gives patients who are ineligible for open heart surgery a new outlook on life.
Abby Cockburn, the YRMC Structural Heart Manager, and Registered Nurse, said, "So TAVR is an aortic valve replacement, but instead of traditional open heart surgery, we typically are able to place it via catheter through the groin."
This innovative procedure provides a lifeline for patients previously considered ineligible for open-heart surgery.
She added, "Back when our program first started, when TAVR first was created, it was just for those patients that were too high risk for surgery, or inoperable, so when we first started, we were just doing the really sick patients that wouldn't tolerate surgery."
This procedure helps patients who suffer from aortic stenosis, which is a condition that limits and blocks blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.
Cockburn plays a pivotal role in the success of this procedure.
"If I have a new patient, I bring them into the clinic, see what their understanding is about aortic stenosis, and go through the education so they understand how it's impacting their life, I explain to them the additional testing that's going to be required because it is quite a bit of testing to make sure the candidates are appropriate and we make a safe plan for them," shared Cockburn.
Since 2014, the Yuma Regional Medical Center has performed 663 TAVR procedures, including Darell Williams, the 84-year-old from Yuma who underwent the procedure in March of this year.
"Before I had the procedure, I was very very short of breath, my daily routine was not good, and I couldn't do anything," said Williams.
He said the surgery was a success.
"After I had the procedure I can do my daily routine, I'm walking out, getting ready to play golf, going to cardio rehab, which is great, and life is getting back to normal," he added.
He recommends the procedure to those who may be considering it saying, "There's no problem with the procedure. The rehab on it is very good, you're out of the hospital probably the next day and the rehab is probably half the time of open heart,".
YRMC said it plans to continue building its robust heart program and keeping heart care close to home.
