The Orange County Heart & Vascular Institute team completes Orange County’s first commercial procedure using the Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN M3 system
Providence St. Joseph Hospital has become the first hospital in Orange County to commercially offer a new, less invasive treatment option for patients with mitral regurgitation, a common heart valve condition that can lead to serious complications if left untreated.
The Heart & Vascular team recently completed the county’s first commercial procedure using the Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN M3 system, an innovative transcatheter technology designed to replace the mitral valve without open-heart surgery.
Mitral regurgitation occurs when the heart’s mitral valve does not close properly, allowing blood to flow backward through the heart. Over time, the condition can make it more difficult for the heart to pump effectively and may contribute to symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and reduced ability to perform everyday activities.
For some patients, particularly those considered too high-risk for traditional open-heart surgery, treatment options have historically been limited. The SAPIEN M3 system provides another option by allowing physicians to replace the mitral valve through a catheter-based procedure rather than opening the chest.
The milestone procedure at Providence St. Joseph Hospital was led by Structural Heart physicians Drs. Aidan Raney, Brian Kolski and Jeff Tyler, with Drs. Maged Azer and Thomas Kim providing imaging expertise during the procedure. A multidisciplinary team of nurses, technologists and other cardiovascular caregivers also played an integral role.
Successfully introducing a new structural heart procedure requires extensive planning and coordination across specialties, from patient evaluation and advanced imaging to the procedure itself and post-procedure care.
The achievement builds on the Orange County Heart & Vascular Institute’s continued expansion of advanced, minimally invasive cardiovascular treatments for patients throughout the region.
Most importantly, bringing the SAPIEN M3 technology to Orange County means patients with complex mitral valve disease now have access to another treatment option close to home — including some patients who previously may have had few alternatives to manage their condition.
