Cincinnati-Physicians at The Christ Hospital have performed a first-in-the-country procedure as part of a national clinical trial that offers much older patients a much less risky option to treat hardening and narrowing of the aortic valve.
As the population of the U.S. progressively ages, the prevalence of hardening and narrowing of the aortic valve (calcific aortic valve stenosis) has increased. Patients with severe narrowing of the aortic valve are most often treated with open-heart surgery to replace their aortic valve. However, this new treatment option is for those patients who are very elderly (75 and older) and who are not candidates for open-heart surgery because of the incremental risk for death and disability (stroke) in that population.The procedure, a balloon valvuloplasty followed by External Radiation Beam Therapy, uses a balloon catheter to inflate and "crack open" the valve leaflet to improve blood flow out of the heart. Then, radiation therapy is used during the same procedure to help reduce or prevent scar tissue from developing in the valve and to help eliminate recurrent hardening of the valve leaflets, which 50 percent of patients develop within six to twelve months after a valvuloplasty.
The RADAR trial will evaluate the results of external radiation beam therapy administered after valvuloplasty to see whether or not the benefits of valvuloplasty can be prolonged. Candidates must be 75 years of age or older with severe aortic stenosis. The new procedure is part of the multi-center RADAR trial for the treatment of critical aortic stenosis. Dean Kereiakes, M.D., Medical Director of the Lindner Clinical Trials Center and The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center performed the valvuloplasty procedure on Monday and Rodney Geier, M.D., Director of Radiation Oncology at The Christ Hospital performed the external beam radiation therapy. The patient, an 87-year old female, had valvuloplasty on Monday and has been discharged home from The Christ Hospital today.
The Lindner Center at The Christ Hospital is collaborating with 6 other major U.S. cardiovascular centers including Scripps Clinic in LaJolla, CA, Columbia University in New York, Emory University in Atlanta, William Beaumont Hospital in Detroit and The Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minneapolis Heart Institute is the coordinating center. For more information about the RADAR trial, please call The Lindner Clinical Trials Center at 513-585-1777.
From pioneering trials to the latest studies in cardiovascular and multi-specialty medicine, investigators at The Lindner Clinical Trials Center continue to bring the newest treatment and technologies to patients in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky before they are available anywhere else. With more than 900 clinical research protocols, the Lindner Center research has been validated through more than 500 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals.
The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary cardiovascular care, utilizing leading-edge technology and research. The Center has the one of the best cardiac survival rates in the Midwest and is ranked 24 by U.S.News & World Report as a top hospital for heart and heart surgery.
The Christ Hospital is a 555-bed, not-for-profit acute care hospital, offering advanced services in cardiovascular care, spine treatment, women's health, major surgery, cancer, orthopedics, emergency care, kidney transplant, behavioral medicine and others. It is consistently recognized by U.S.News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals, and has been named Cincinnati's Most Preferred Hospital for 12 consecutive years by National Research Corporation (NRC). For more information about The Christ Hospital, visit www.TheChristHospital.com.
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