Miami, Fla. (October 31, 2016) – Palmetto General Hospital is the first hospital in Florida and third in the United States to commercially implant a sutureless aortic valve in a patient with heart valve disease through a newly FDA-approved, minimally invasive delivery system.

This new surgical technique is also available to patients from the Caribbean.

The advanced EDWARDS INTUITY Elite valve system is a deployment device that incorporates some elements of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive valve replacement procedure. The system is designed to streamline complex aortic valve replacements and result in less trauma to the body and quicker recovery times. The surgeon replaces a patient’s valve through an incision in the ribs, and it is delivered via a catheter into the heart.

“We are constantly researching the latest technologies and procedures to meet the ever-changing needs of our patients,” said Ana Mederos, CEO of Palmetto General Hospital. “We are pleased to enhance our medical services with the addition of this valve system and offer our patients a new option.”

Traditionally, open heart surgery is the preferred method for valve replacement but more cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are turning to minimally invasive approaches. Dr. Romualdo Segurola, medical director of The Heart Institute at Palmetto General Hospital, led the team that implanted the first sutureless aortic valve procedure in Florida.

“I am proud to be one of the first in the nation to offer this procedure and believe it has the potential to help a large number of patients in our area,” said Dr. Segurola.

The Heart Institute at Palmetto General Hospital offers a comprehensive multi-specialty program devoted to heart and vascular health that addresses each patient’s particular needs. For more information on the cardiovascular services offered at Palmetto General Hospital, please call (888) 620-1932 or visit www.palmettogeneral.com/our-services/heart-vascular.

About Palmetto General Hospital

Palmetto General Hospital, a 368-bed acute care hospital located at 2001 West 68th Street in Hialeah, Fla., is owned and operated by Tenet Healthcare. The hospital has served the healthcare needs of Northwest Miami-Dade and Southwest Broward Counties for over 40 years through its broad range of services, including but not limited to, adult and pediatric emergency care, maternity, mental health, hyperbaric, surgical oncology, wound care, a bariatric program, a sleep disorders center, and a comprehensive cardiovascular program. Through its academic affiliations with Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University, Palmetto General Hospital also serves as a training site for physicians.

In addition to being one of only four Joint Commission-accredited Comprehensive Stroke Centers in the state of Florida and 110 in the nation, Palmetto General Hospital was recently awarded the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll-Elite Plus. In further recognition of the hospital’s commitment to cardiac care, Palmetto earned the AHA’s Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award for heart failure treatment.

Palmetto General Hospital’s accolades extend beyond cardiac and stroke care. The hospital is certified by the Surgical Review Corporation as a Center of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and has also been recognized since 2009 as a Designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. Palmetto General Hospital is fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency in the nation, and was recently named one of the nation’s top performers on key quality measures for the third consecutive year. To learn more about Palmetto General Hospital, please visit www.tenetfloridainternational.com or call 1-855-836-3846

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