Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi treated its first patient using new transcatheter aortic valve replacement technology, a minimally invasive alternative to open aortic valve replacement.

Baptist North Mississippi is the first hospital in north Mississippi to provide this new transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure using the Evolut FX+ system.

Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Evolut FX+ transcatheter aortic valve replacement system offers larger coronary windows for any future heart catheterization procedures that may require percutaneous intervention of the coronaries.

“Our heart teams are thrilled to offer a new procedure and a more advanced treatment option for heart patients,” said Brian Welton, chief executive officer and administrator of Baptist North Mississippi.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people over 45 years old, and aortic stenosis is one of the most common heart valve diseases. Diagnosing and treating heart valve disease early can help save more lives.”

Dr. Mark Campbell performed the first procedure at Baptist North Mississippi.

Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve leaflets that open and close to regulate blood flow from the heart to the aorta, become stiff and thickened and have difficulty opening and closing, making the heart work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body.

The disease can affect quality of life and limit the ability to participate in daily activities. If left untreated, 50% of patients with severe aortic stenosis can die from heart failure in as little as two years.