Patients spend less time in hospital and recover faster.
Southlake is the only hospital in the GTA to offer cardiac patients a full spectrum of treatment options for mitral valve disease. In the past, the only procedure available was open heart surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve.
Now, some patients may be offered a variety of less invasive options including minimally invasive repair or replacement surgery and transcatheter mitral procedures.
Southlake is fortunate to have Dr. Carolyn Teng, a cardiac surgeon and one of the few experts in the province, performing minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement surgery for eligible patients.
What’s unique about this approach is the two-inch incision she creates between the patient’s ribs on the right side of the chest. Dr. Teng accesses and repairs or replaces the valve using a high definition camera and specialized instruments. This small incision leads to a faster recovery with excellent results for patients.
Dr Teng’s patients tell her that they are grateful to spend less time in hospital, go home and recover faster, and feel back to normal without having to undergo conventional open heart surgery. “I can do complex mitral valve repairs through a tiny incision and that means my patients don’t wake up each morning and look in the mirror with a huge scar that reminds them of their surgery. Instead, my patients tell me that the experience allowed them to get back to feeling normal again – fast,” said Dr. Teng.
Arden Krystal, Southlake President and CEO, says that offering patients this innovative, less-invasive procedure is another great example of leading-edge care. “We’re always looking for solutions that improve the care we deliver and ways to provide best experiences for patients,” said Krystal.
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