Mon Health Heart & Vascular Center Offers New Procedure to Reduce Open Heart Surgery

A new procedure offered at Mon Health Heart and Vascular Center at Mon Health Medical Center, is improving quality of life and shortening hospital stays for patients with the most common heart-valve disorder in the United States—mitral regurgitation. 

Affecting nearly 1 in 10 people aged 75 and older, mitral regurgitation occurs when the heart’s mitral valve no longer closes properly, allowing blood flow to leak backwards into the heart. If left untreated, this can lead to an enlarged heart and heart failure.

Some patients take medications like diuretics, also called water pills, to curb their symptoms, but drugs won’t fix the problem. Open-heart surgery is still used to help most patients. Those who are not candidates for open-heart surgery due to other medical conditions or elevated risk may be eligible to receive a less-invasive treatment option using an FDA-approved device called a MitraClip, without the need for open-heart surgery. 

“All cases undergo a vigorous review with our heart care team which includes both interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to identify the best treatment plan and surgery option,” explained Dr. Alexander Nagy, Chief of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery at Mon Health Heart & Vascular Center.

“This device gives us a long-awaited minimally invasive option for high-risk patients who can't tolerate surgery,” says Dr. Wissam Gharib, Director of the Cath Lab and Mon Health Heart & Vascular Center Cardiologist.

Recently a patient from Fairview, West Virginia received this life-saving therapy by a team of physicians at Mon Health Heart and Vascular Center and was back home the next day.

Glendora Headley, Donald’s wife, said the experience was unlike anything she’s experienced at other medical centers—and is one reason they’ve chosen Mon Health time and time again since 1967. “You feel like they want to take care of you,” said Glendora. “You don’t feel like you’re just a number.”

“Mon Health heart care continues to be recognized as among the best in the nation,” said David Goldberg, President and CEO. “Mon Health Medical Center is the first and only hospital in West Virginia to earn an Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Accreditation and the only hospital in the region to offer the leading-edge Watchman FLX™ for AFib patients. In addition, Mon Health Medical Center was awarded a three-year accreditation in echocardiography and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals 2020-21 as High Performing in Heart Failure and we are the only regional hospital and 24th in the country to receive HeartCARE Center Designation. This new procedure is further validation for trusting your heart to Mon Health.”

The Mon Health Heart and Vascular Center brings the latest advancements in cardiac care to a community hospital setting. From diagnostics to surgery, a comprehensive approach is used to focus on personalized care and exceptional outcomes. We are a comprehensive regional provider offering outpatient clinics in McHenry, Md., Morgantown, Kingwood, Fairmont, Weston, Parsons and Elkins, WV.

To schedule an appointment at one of our Mon Health Heart and Vascular Center locations, visit www.MonHealth.com/Heart.