Idaho's First Tendyne Mitral Valve Replacement Performed at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center

Hospital Participating in International Clinical Trial

Boise, ID – An 80-year-old man who otherwise could not undergo life-saving heart valve replacement surgery has become the first patient in Idaho to receive a new valve through a pioneering minimally-invasive procedure.

Saint Alphonsus Cardiothoracic Surgery Medical Director Dr. Robert Saeid Farivar did the procedure, A small incision was made in the left side of the patient’s chest, and a catheter was placed in the heart. The replacement valve was inserted through the catheter and then opened, much like a flower. Once open, it functions like a healthy mitral valve, which is a small flap in the heart that stops blood from flowing the wrong way. The procedure typically takes about 45 minutes to complete, and the patient can go home within a few days.

“Tendyne Mitral Valve Replacement by Abbott is an important tool we have to treat mitral valve disease at Saint Alphonsus, and we are ecstatic to be able to offer it to our patients,” said Dr. Farivar. “This allows mitral valve replacement in older and sicker patients who may not be surgical candidates.”

The procedure also allows doctors to implant the replacement valve without the need for a heart-lung machine or using traditional open-heart surgery. Dr. Farivar says the implant can result in less heart failure, fewer hospital admissions and a longer and higher quality of life.

Dr. Farivar performed the first Tendyne procedure in the United States in 2015 and has been Chairman of the Patient Selection Committee for the past three years.

Saint Alphonsus is one of approximately 80 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Europe participating in the Tendyne Mitral Valve System clinical trial.

About Saint Alphonsus Health System

Saint Alphonsus health system is a Catholic, faith-based ministry and not-for-profit health system serving the state of Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada communities. The health system boasts 4 hospitals, 609 licensed beds and 7 joint venture relationships. The health system employs 6,100 colleagues and over 500 medical staff. The Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance is comprised of 3,000 employed and independent providers. Nearly 1,200 physicians are members of the Saint Alphonsus medical staff.

Saint Alphonsus Health System reinvests in the communities we serve, through charity care and other benefits. Our goal is to improve the health and well-being of people by emphasizing care that is patient-centered, physician-led, innovative and community-based. The health system hospitals include Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center - Boise, ID; Saint Alphonsus Regional Rehabilitation Hospital – Boise, ID, a joint venture with Encompass Health; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Nampa, ID; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario, OR; Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Baker City, OR. The Saint Alphonsus Medical Group is the health system's employed medical group, with primary and specialty care providers at 73 clinic locations, all of which are members of the Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance, a network of over 3,000 employed and independent providers.

Saint Alphonsus is a proud member of Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Trinity Health serves people and communities in 25 states from coast to coast with 89 hospitals, 131 continuing care facilities, 17 clinically integrated networks, 125 urgent care locations, and 25 PACE center locations. Across the footprint of 25 states, Trinity Health employs 115K colleagues and 6.8K employed physicians and clinicians. Nearly 25.8K affiliated physicians are members of the medical staff. To find out more go to: www.saintalphonsus.org