Lake Charles Memorial Hospital recognized for expertise in cardiovascular procedure

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - The American College of Cardiology has recognized Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for their expertise in transcatheter valve repair and replacement procedures, also known as TAVR.

“For years, anybody who had to have an aortic valve would have to have their chest opened up, just like bypass surgery,” Interventional Cardiologist and Co-director of TAVR Dr. Christopher Thompson said. “Well now, we can give somebody a new aortic valve - most of the time - going through their legs, their femoral arteries.”

As first in the nation for both certification and recertification, the hospital’s heart and vascular team must follow certain standards to receive recognition.

“We had to be able to support and provide documentation that we meet all of these best practices that are out there,” Registered Nurse and Valve Clinic Coordinator Misty Theriot said. “We had to submit our quality data to show that we have good patient outcomes. We had to submit different policies and procedures to show them that we have processes in place, you know, for patient safety and just to continue to streamline processes.”

It’s advancements like these that Dr. Christopher Thompson said are a testament to their dedication to their patients’ quality of life.

“To be able to start this program and see the change of life in these patients,” Thompson said. “I mean, these are patients who, for the most part, were very limited in their ability to just walk around their house, and they leave the hospital feeling like new people. It’s just very encouraging. It’s one of the things that we do in cardiology that just changes people’s lives.”

Over 150 TAVR procedures have been performed at Lake Charles Memorial since 2019.

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