For the first time in our province, seriously ill heart patients have new hope after a new cardiac procedure will be performed in Alberta.
Surgeons at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute can now perform an innovative method for replacing diseased heart valves. So far, three patients have already undergone the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The procedure is used for patients who are not candidates for open heart surgery.
"Before, with a lot of these high-risk patients, you would have to turn them down for surgery or you would proceed with extremely high-risk surgery in the hopes you would get them through, "said cardiac surgeon at the University of Alberta, Dr. Steven Meyer.
Alex Shapka had the surgery on May 10th. And three days later, he was back at home resting.
A cardiac team is expected to begin the same procedure at the Calgary Foothills Medical Centre in the coming months.
