Cookeville Regional Completes Complex Mitral Valve Replacement

Board certified cardiologist Dr. Carlos Podesta and heart team recently completed a successful mitral valve replacement at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. On the procedure and the steps taken by the heart team to accomplish this challenging course of treatment, Podesta stated, “This was a patient that had a pretty sick heart. They had a valve repaired in their heart previously and unfortunately, because of their heart failing more and more, the valve they had failed and was severely leaking and that is what needed to addressed.”

He continued, “Given this highly complex patient with a failing valve and a weak heart muscle, we discussed with the heart team what options were available for treatment. One was to redo the original surgery, which was thought to be high risk. What we ended up doing was putting a catheter valve inside that mitral valve that was failing– no incision, no open heart, the entire procedure was completed from the groin. Once we put the valve in place, we inflated the valve and as soon as you do that, the valve starts working and the leakage is gone.”

Procedures like the one performed by Dr. Podesta are a recent development at CRMC. When asked what the addition of treatment options like complex mitral valve replacement means for the community, Podesta said, “I think the ability to have this type of procedure at Cookeville Regional Medical Center has a very positive community impact. Even a couple years ago, this is something that we were not doing here and now we are. Because of the expertise that our heart team has gained over the years, patients don’t have to go to Knoxville or Nashville which is I think is a great advantage to this community.”