Physicians at the James Cook University Hospital (Middlesbrough, UK) have performed ten transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures in one day with seven patients returning home the same day and two the next morning. According to the centre, it is thought that the number of same day discharges is a first in the world for TAVI.
James Cook University Hospital has pioneered the streamlined TAVI pathway, Edwards Benchmark, which targets rapid discharge for patients while preserving good quality outcomes and safety. The approach standardises a minimalist approach to TAVI with a focus on conscious sedation and recovery outside the ICU.
Douglas Muir, consultant cardiologist at James Cook University Hospital, commented: “Our expert team has adopted internationally-leading TAVI best practices which allows us to treat patients safely and efficiently while improving our hospital capacity.
“If we can manage to continue to do ten cases a day we are making a difference to our local patients by getting their procedure done early, reducing the wait for them and reducing the anxiety to them and their family.
“And, it frees up beds either for more TAVI or other work within cardiology or even other work within the hospital in a non-cardiac environment.”
Efforts to treat more patients are in line with NHS England guidance calling for local health authorities to review their capacity and ability to offer TAVI due to the increased waiting times for cardiovascular procedures as a result of the pandemic.
“Not only are they providing a life-saving procedure which improves quality of life, but by getting patients home in a day, they are also allowing more people to be treated for other heart conditions.”
