Successful recertification of the University Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology Magdeburg as a TAVI center
The University Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology Magdeburg, under the direction of Prof. Dr. med. Rüdiger C. Braun-Dullaeus, has once again been certified as a "TAVI Center" by the DGK (German Society for Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research). This award requires the fulfillment of strict DGK criteria. The university hospital received initial certification as a TAVI center in 2019, making it the first certified TAVI center in Saxony-Anhalt. This seal of approval for performing TAVI procedures remains valid until August 2025.
Prof. Braun-Dullaeus expressed his delight at the renewed certification: "The heart team at our university hospital, consisting of cardiology, cardiac and thoracic surgery and anaesthesia, has been performing aortic valve procedures in the hybrid laboratory for many years.In November 2022, the University Hospital was also awarded the 'TAVI Center of Excellence' certificate by the Edwards TAVI team." Edwards Lifesciences is a global leader in the research and development of heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring systems.
TAVI stands for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.In this procedure, a biological heart valve prosthesis is folded and advanced and opened via a catheter through a small access from the groin via the pelvic vessels along the large aorta to the heart. This procedure was developed for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who require a heart valve replacement as the risk of traditional open surgery is too high.
Photo: A TAVI operation in the hybrid operating theater at Magdeburg University Medical Center.
Source: UMMD
The procedures are planned and carried out jointly by the specially trained heart team, consisting of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. This procedure requires detailed planning, as an individual procedure must be selected for each patient. The operation is performed in the hybrid operating theater, which combines the advantages of a cardiac catheterization laboratory (with mobile X-ray equipment) and an operating theater.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an important component of aortic valve stenosis, particularly in older patients.In view of the continuously increasing number of TAVI procedures, the German Society of Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research defined quality standards back in 2009.These were updated before 2015 to ensure high-quality and standardized care for TAVI patients in Germany. Certification as a TAVI center of the DGK is based on defined criteria for indication, process and structural quality, which interested clinics and hospitals can apply for.