Heart Procedures

Advanced Heart Care You Can Trust

At Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC), we advance health care options for our local communities, by providing specialized cardiac procedures and treatments. Our board-certified cardiologists use state-of-the-art technology to deliver personalized care that helps you recover faster and live healthier.

Discover why patients trust us for comprehensive heart health. Schedule your heart care appointment today and ask your physician which treatment plan is right for you.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) procedure

Antelope Valley Medical Center offers a new level of hope and healing for patients facing severe heart and lung conditions. This advanced technology provides critical support when conventional treatments are not enough, giving patients a fighting chance during life’s most challenging moments.

ECMO is an innovative life-support therapy that acts as an artificial heart and lung outside the body, allowing these vital organs to rest and recover, while the specialized machine circulates blood, adding oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. Unlike traditional heart-lung bypass machines used only during surgery, ECMO can support patients for days or even weeks, giving them critical time to heal or prepare for the next step in treatment. While ECMO is not a cure, it serves as a bridge to survival, helping patients recover, undergo transplant or surgery, or remain stable while doctors determine the best course of care.

Ensuring patients receive compassionate, round-the-clock care, AVMC’s ECMO program is supported by a dedicated team of critical care specialists, nurses, and respiratory therapists trained in this complex therapy.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) for Aortic Stenosis

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR, is a minimally invasive procedure to replace diseased aortic valves without performing open heart surgery. The aortic valve is a vital heart structure that tends to degenerate and malfunction as patients age. The traditional way to replace the aortic valve is through performing open heart surgery, a major procedure that requires opening of the chest and stopping the heart, as well as, the removal of the native disease. Recovery is typically long and painful. TAVR, instead, delivers a new tissue aortic valve, mounted inside a catheter, through a small puncture in the right femoral artery, without the need to open the chest or stopping the heart. The procedure has been around for nearly 10 years, and is continuously refined. Multiple clinical trials have proven the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared to open heart surgery and valve replacement. TAVR is now considered the standard of care, as it has proven equivalence and/or superior to surgical valve replacement. Patients who undergo TAVR are typically discharged after an overnight stay in the hospital. This procedure is available for people with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis at low, intermediate or high risk for standard valve replacement surgery.

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Implant (LAAO, or also known as the Watchman device) for Atrial Fibrillation

The Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Implant (LAAO) procedure is an effective way to reduce stroke risk in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac condition that the effects tens of millions of people in the United States. Certain patients with atrial fibrillation are prone to strokes and neurological damage. One way to minimize the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is to use anti-coagulants such as Warfarin, Xarelto, Eliquis and Pradaxa. Although these medications are effective at reducing the incidence of strokes, they have their own serious side effects. They all can cause serious and at times life-threatening bleeding.

Many patients cannot take anti-coagulants, and are therefore left with unchecked stroke risk. The blood clots that lead to strokes in atrial fibrillation patients develop in a particular portion of the heart, known as the left atrial appendage. This is a recess in the left upper heart chamber that, if closed, dramatically lowers the risk of strokes. Fortunately, AVMC now has the technology to do that without performing open heart surgery. The device used is known as left atrial appendage occlude (LAAO) or the Watchman device. The device is inserted through a small incision in the right groin and is a permanent implant. Patients who receive this device are only hospitalized overnight. Once in place, there is no need for long-term anti-coagulation with the associated lifelong risk of bleeding.

Watch this video to learn more about the Watchman device

MitraClip™ Therapy for Mitral Regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation (MR) occurs when the heart’s mitral valve does not close properly, causing blood to leak backward into the left atrium. This condition can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling, and, if untreated, heart failure. MitraClip™ therapy offers a minimally invasive, catheter-based solution to repair the mitral valve without open-heart surgery.

During the procedure, a small catheter is guided through a vein to the heart, where the MitraClip™ device is attached to the mitral valve to reduce backward blood flow. This approach typically results in a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and improved quality of life.

TriClip™ Therapy for Tricuspid Valve Repair

TriClip™ therapy is a less invasive procedure designed to repair the tricuspid valve and reduce tricuspid regurgitation (TR) without the need for open-heart surgery. Using a catheter inserted through a vein in the leg, doctors guide the TriClip™ device to the heart and attach it to the tricuspid valve, helping it close more completely and restore normal blood flow.

This approach offers significant benefits: less pain, a shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery compared to traditional surgery. The TriClip™ implant is about the size of a dime, yet it can make a big difference in improving heart function and quality of life. For patients who are not candidates for surgery, TriClip™ provides a safe and effective alternative.

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR) Procedure with the EVOQUE™ System

The tricuspid valve helps control blood flow on the right side of the heart, moving blood toward your lungs. When this valve becomes very leaky or damaged, it can cause swelling, tiredness, and even heart failure. Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR) is a modern treatment that replaces the faulty valve without open-heart surgery.

Using the EVOQUE™ system, doctors insert a catheter through a vein in the groin and guide it to the heart. Once in place, the new valve takes over the job of the old one, helping blood flow normally again. The procedure usually takes about two hours and often means less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and a quicker recovery.