CHRISTUS Health System Offers TAVR Procedure

A longtime resident of the Dallas area, Paul Generale earned an MBA with an emphasis in healthcare administration from the University of Houston. Shortly after, he began his career at CHRISTUS St. John Hospital as chief operating and financial officer. Currently, Paul Generale serves as executive vice president and chief strategy and network officer of the Catholic health system CHRISTUS Health.

One of the top 50 heart hospitals in the US, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System announced that its team of health practitioners had integrated transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures into the existing spectrum of heart procedures offered. TAVR is not a major surgery but rather a minimally invasive alternative for people with aortic valve stenosis who are not optimal candidates for aortic replacement surgery. TAVR circumvents the potential complications of open surgery on such patients.

Aortic valve stenosis occurs when the aortic valve (a structure that enables the flow of blood from the lower chambers of the heart to major blood vessels) fails to open properly. This reduces the normal flow of blood from the heart to the major vessels. Symptoms of aortic valve stenosis include chest pain, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, lack of appetite (especially in children), and general weakness. TAVR procedures remedy the collapsed valve by replacing the damaged valve with another valve in a minimally invasive procedure. The approach involves creating an incision in the arm or leg and directing the valve placement through a catheter inserted into a blood vessel at the incision site. The procedure typically takes less than two hours.

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