Philly Leader

Temple Health has announced that it is the first academic medical center in the greater Philadelphia area to perform a commercial heart procedure using the new Navitor valve. This device is utilized during the Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure, which treats patients with aortic stenosis—a condition characterized by narrowing of the heart valve.

Marissa Pietrolungo, DNP, CRNP, who serves as Temple University Hospital’s Structural Heart Disease Nurse Practitioner and Program Coordinator, explained the origins of TAVR: “The TAVR procedure was first performed in 2012. It was originally intended only for high-risk aortic stenosis patients or those who were considered ineligible for open-heart surgery, which is the traditional way to fix the aortic valve.”

Initially, TAVR procedures could be performed using either of two valves: Edwards SAPIEN 3 or Medtronic Evolut. According to David M. Fiss, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, "There are pros and cons to each." He noted that "several factors" are considered when determining which valve is appropriate for each patient's anatomy.

The introduction of a third type of valve excited Temple’s Structural Heart Disease team. Pietrolungo likened this choice to "Goldilocks and the three bears," noting that sometimes existing options were not suitable due to calcium levels in patients' valves. The Navitor valve provides an alternative because it is self-expanding with an active sealing cuff around its cage to prevent leaks.

Brian O’Murchu, MD, FACC, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Lewis Katz School of Medicine also praised Navitor's features. He stated that its insertion sheath is lubricious and easy to advance while providing stability during delivery. Additionally, O'Murchu mentioned that unlike Evolut, Navitor sits lower in its cage which may offer better access to coronary arteries post-procedure.

Temple Health's team conducted their first successful TAVR procedure using Navitor in October 2024 and have since performed several others successfully. Pietrolungo highlighted how this sets them apart regionally: “I think being the first in the region to use the Navitor valve commercially with such great results really sets us apart from other programs."

She added that having three different valves allows them more flexibility in aligning procedures with individual patient characteristics: “A lot of programs will just use one valve on every patient regardless of their anatomy...the Navitor valve will change that."

Pietrolungo believes this advancement can make TAVR more inclusive by expanding eligibility criteria: “We can help even more patients dramatically improve their quality of life.”