May 24, 2024- A 82-year-old woman from Elliottsburg, Pa. with aortic valve stenosis was the first person in the world to undergo a new type of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at UPMC Harrisburg. The patient has been discharged and is recovering well. Hemal Gada, M.D., president, UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa. performed the procedure using the newest-generation FDA approved Evolut™ FX+ TAVR system for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Dr. Gada is the first interventional cardiologist in the world to use this latest Evolut FX+ TAVR system.
The latest Evolut FX+ TAVR system maintains the valve performance benefits of the legacy Evolut TAVR platform but allows larger coronary access windows through a modified diamond-shaped frame design, which is four times larger than previous iterations of the Evolut TAVR system. Evolut FX+ provides increased space for catheter maneuverability to facilitate access to coronary arteries.