News

Last week, Heart Valve Voice were in Belfast for the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) Annual Meeting. We met with clinicians from across the UK, industry leaders and patients to listen, learn and share.

At the beginning of 2021, Fireman, Joe Munro, had just set himself a challenge to run 5 kilometres every day. Then, after feeling unwell at work one day, his GP listened to his heart and heard a murmur. A subsequent echo found he had severe aortic stenosis, and required urgent intervention. Now, just a year later, he is back at work with his watch, fighting fires and saving lives.

This year, to mark the 20th Anniversary of the first TAVI we will be sharing twenty TAVI stories - one for every year the procedure has been being performed. 85-year-old, Mary Kernick, was diagnosed with heart valve disease while having checks for suspected gall stones. After discussions with her clinician, they decided a TAVI was the best treatment option for her. This is her valve disease story.

In February 2019, Julia was recovering from a viral infection and feeling run down and tired. After her GP listened to her heart with a stethoscope, they discovered she had a significant murmur and a subsequent echo found she had severe aortic stenosis with a bicuspid valve. This is her valve disease story.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the UK’s first-ever Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure performed at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust by Professor Jan Kovac. What was then viewed as a revolutionary method to treat heart valve disease is now a routine procedure, which is seen to be one of the most significant advances in cardiac disease therapy over the last 30 years.

2022 is upon us, and I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on Heart Valve Voice’s achievements in 2021 and look forward to 2022. 2022 presents valve disease patients and the nation with a complex challenge, but we at Heart Valve Voice have put together an ambitious strategy to ensure we continue to support patients and improve the detection and diagnosis of the condition.