Bucheon Sejong Hospital announced on the 12th that it recently achieved 400 cases of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

This marks the first achievement of 400 TAVI procedures among medical institutions in the Gyeongin region and the first among general hospitals nationwide. Including university hospitals, it is the seventh such record among medical institutions in Korea.

TAVI is a highly advanced procedure performed for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis. Instead of opening the chest, medical devices such as a catheter are inserted through the femoral artery to reach the heart and replace the diseased valve with a new one.

TAVI is performed for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, heart failure, and shortness of breath. 

The procedure can be performed under sedation, and because the hospitalization period is relatively short at three to four days, patients can return to daily life earlier. Another major advantage is that it can be used to treat patients who are unable to undergo surgery due to poor general health.

Large-scale clinical studies have expanded the scope of TAVI from high-risk surgical patients to low-risk surgical patients. The European Society of Cardiology recommends TAVI over surgery for patients aged 70 or older with severe aortic valve stenosis. In Korea, since 2022, national health insurance coverage has been applied differentially depending on the patient’s age and disease severity.

Dr. Park Ha-wook, a cardiologist at Bucheon Sejong Hospital, explained, 

“High-risk or elderly patients with complex diseases often find it difficult to accept heart surgery due to the associated risks. In such cases, 

TAVI has become a valuable alternative.”

In particular, Bucheon Sejong Hospital has demonstrated the strength of Korea’s only heart-specialty hospital by successfully performing the country’s third TAVI procedure in 2010 and successfully treating an extremely elderly patient aged 97.

Dr. Choi Young-jin, a cardiologist at Bucheon Sejong Hospital, said, “TAVI has established itself as a reliable treatment method, 

with its clinical safety proven over many years. Bucheon Sejong Hospital, Korea’s only heart-specialty hospital, has further enhanced safety through decades of expertise in heart treatment and a systematic multidisciplinary care system.”

He added, “If the current trend continues, we expect to reach 500 cases in the second half of this year.”

Bucheon Sejong Hospital adopts a personalized approach in which the definition of TAVI and the need for treatment are thoroughly explained to patients and their guardians before obtaining consent, rather than making unilateral decisions by medical staff.

The hospital also makes final decisions on whether to perform TAVI through multidisciplinary collaboration among cardiology, cardiovascular thoracic surgery, anesthesiology, and radiology departments.

In addition, Bucheon Sejong Hospital has strengthened safety by establishing a dual safety system, including having cardiovascular thoracic surgeons on standby at all times so that immediate surgery can be performed in the event of an emergency during a TAVI procedure.

Lee Myung-mook, President of Bucheon Sejong Hospital, said, “As Korea’s only heart-specialty hospital, Bucheon Sejong Hospital actively provides comprehensive heart treatment for patients of all ages, from children to the elderly, including TAVI, 

open-heart surgery, minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, and heart transplantation. 

We will continue to devote ourselves to protecting precious lives based on trust and safety.”