HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center celebrates 1,000th TAVR procedure
Houston, Texas — HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center proudly announces the completion of its 1,000th Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure, a groundbreaking achievement that underscores the hospital’s commitment to delivering innovative, patient-centered cardiac care.
TAVR is a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are considered high-risk for traditional surgical approaches. Instead of opening the chest cavity, surgeons insert a new aortic valve through the femoral artery or a small incision in the chest, offering patients faster recovery, less pain, and reduced risk of complications.
The first TAVR valve implant was performed in 2020 as part of the hospital’s expanding cardiovascular services and reached 500 procedures within just a few years and now doubling that number to 1,000 in 2025. This rapid growth reflects the expertise and dedication of the multidisciplinary team, including interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and the cardiac catheterization team, who work side by side to deliver life-saving care.
The 1000th TAVR was performed by Pranav Loyalka, MD, HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division Director of Structural Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Heart Transplant, and Mechanical Circulatory Support and cardiologist at HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center.
“When we started the TAVR program, our goal was to provide a safer, less invasive option for patients with severe aortic stenosis,” said Dr. Loyalka. “To achieve 1,000 procedures in such a short time is extraordinary and speaks to the complexity and excellence of our program.”
Aortic stenosis is one of the most common and serious heart valve diseases, affecting more than 1.7 million Americans over age 65. Without a valve replacement, as few as half survive beyond two years. TAVR not only relieves symptoms but can significantly improve survival rates for those with severe disease.
HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association with the Target: Aortic Stenosis™ Honor Roll award for its commitment to improving care for this undertreated condition. Additionally, the hospital was recently named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and Coronary Intervention by Healthgrades, the highest achievement for cardiac care, placing the hospital among the nation’s elite for specialty care.
“Congratulations to our structural heart team, catheterization lab, cardiovascular operating room, echocardiogram team, anesthesia, and cardiovascular ICU and IMU teams,” said Robert Sabina, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center. “Your dedication and collaboration have made this program highly successful and have transformed the lives of thousands of patients.”