Eisenhower Becomes First Edwards Benchmark™ Program Observation Site for TAVR

Eisenhower Health is the first hospital in the United States to become an Edwards Benchmark program Case Observation Site for the treatment of aortic stenosis in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

The standard treatment for aortic stenosis (a narrowing of the aortic valve opening) has been valve replacement through open-heart surgery. In 2015, Eisenhower Health became the first and remains the only hospital in the Coachella Valley to approach aortic stenosis with TAVR.

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a faulty valve without surgically opening the chest. With the TAVR approach, a team of interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons delivers a collapsible replacement valve to the valve site through a catheter. Once in position, the new valve is expanded, pushing the old valve leaflets (the “flaps” that control blood flow) out of the way and creating a new valve orifice.

“To become the first Edwards Benchmark program observational site in the United States for TAVR is a testament to Eisenhower’s multidisciplinary team effort that not only embraces technology but also continually works together to improve patient outcomes,” says Yj Oh, Edwards’ senior vice president of marketing, transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

In 2021, Eisenhower was designated as an Edwards Benchmark program - the first such hospital in California.

“Since 2015, Eisenhower Health has performed nearly 1,000 TAVR procedures at a success rate of 99%, consistently above the national average - making Eisenhower’s TAVR program a natural fit as an observational site for an Edwards Benchmark program,” says Scott Strech, RN, BSN, MBA, Chief Administrative Officer/Administrator, Cardiovascular Services, Eisenhower Health.