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About Tufts Medical Center Learn All About Tufts Medical Center Who We Are Helpful Phone Numbers History of Tufts Medical Center Locations + Directions Share Your Story Policies + Public Documents Quality + Safety Recent Awards + Recognitions Volunteer Services
Overview Tufts Medical Center in downtown Boston is home to one of Eastern Massachusetts’ strongest Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) programs. The heart valve team, made up of a TAVR coordinator, cardiologists, imaging specialists, interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from the CardioVascular Center is what truly sets our aortic valve disease program apart. The team will evaluate your illness, review your full medical history and develop an individualized care plan for your specific condition. When is TAVR recommended? TAVR is a minimally invasive, FDA approved procedure that is used to replace a diseased heart valve. The four valves in your heart help allow the one-way flow of blood to the rest of your body. When one of these valves is damaged, the heart can no longer pump effectively. What is the TAVR procedure? TAVR is a lifesaving procedure that is less invasive and leads to a quicker improvement of your quality of life compared to open heart surgery. The TAVR procedure is a hybrid procedure, which means that we combine the techniques of a cardiac surgeon and the technology of a catheterization laboratory (cath lab) based procedure. During the TAVR procedure, a prosthetic valve is delivered to the heart via a catheter. It is carefully positioned inside your valve and expanded. As the new valve is expanded, it pushes your diseased valve out of the way and takes over the job of regulating blood flow. The common approach to inserting and guiding the catheter to your heart is transfemorally (through the femoral artery in the groin). In some patients alternative access sites can also be used. Our dedicated heart valve team will use our findings from the evaluation stage to determine the best possible approach for you. Learn more about this procedure by watching the animation below: What can I expect at Tufts Medical Center? The Tufts Medical Center TAVR program is recognized in Boston through our dedication to providing an individual care plan for each patient. Our entire process is focused on identifying and creating an individualized treatment plan for your heart condition, not on getting to a specific procedure. Throughout your time in the care of our exceptional heart valve team, we will continually monitor and modify your treatment plan to get the best possible outcome. Not only do we want you to get better but we also want to make sure the experience is as stress-free as possible. Our TAVR coordinator will guide you throughout the process and be your first contact if you ever have questions or concerns. All testing and evaluation is done onsite. We make the appointments around your schedule. All sub-specialists are located onsite. We consider your personal doctors as part of our treatment and decision-making team. Doctors + Care Team Request Appointment Carey D. Kimmelstiel, MD Title(s): Director, Interventional Cardiology Center; Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-5913 Interventional cardiology View Full Profile Request Appointment Natesa G. Pandian, MD Title(s): Director, Heart Valve Center; Co-Director, Comprehensive Cardiovascular Imaging Center; Director, Echocardiography Research; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-8070 Echocardiography, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, pericardial disease View Full Profile Request Appointment Ayan R. Patel, MD Title(s): Director, Cardiovascular Imaging and Hemodynamic Laboratory; Director, Women's Heart Center; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-8070 Echocardiography, heart failure, women's heart disease View Full Profile Request Appointment Hassan Rastegar, MD Title(s): Senior Cardiothoracic Surgeon; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Surgery, CardioVascular Center, Cardiac Surgery Appt. Phone: 617-636-5590 Fax #: 617-636-6410 Surgical treatment of acquired heart disease, surgical repair of valvular heart disease, surgical repair of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, minimally invasive surgery, arrhythmia surgery, heart transplantation, circulatory assist devices View Full Profile Request Appointment Andrew R. Weintraub, MD Title(s): Associate Director, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Center; Medical Director, Valvular and Structural Heart Health Center; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-6140 Fax #: 617-636-2276 Interventional cardiology, vascular medicine, peripheral vascular intervention View Full Profile Request Appointment Benjamin S. Wessler, MD Title(s): Director, Valve Center; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-5913 Non-invasive cardiology, echocardiography View Full Profile Request Appointment Yong Zhan, MD Title(s): Cardiothoracic Surgeon; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Surgery, CardioVascular Center, Cardiac Surgery Appt. Phone: 617-636-5590 Fax #: 617-636-6410 Surgical treatment of acquired heart disease, surgical repair of valvular heart disease minimally invasive surgery, arrhythmia surgery, heart transplantation, circulatory assist devices View Full Profile
Request Appointment Carey D. Kimmelstiel, MD Title(s): Director, Interventional Cardiology Center; Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-5913 Interventional cardiology View Full Profile Request Appointment Natesa G. Pandian, MD Title(s): Director, Heart Valve Center; Co-Director, Comprehensive Cardiovascular Imaging Center; Director, Echocardiography Research; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-8070 Echocardiography, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, pericardial disease View Full Profile Request Appointment Ayan R. Patel, MD Title(s): Director, Cardiovascular Imaging and Hemodynamic Laboratory; Director, Women's Heart Center; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-8070 Echocardiography, heart failure, women's heart disease View Full Profile Request Appointment Hassan Rastegar, MD Title(s): Senior Cardiothoracic Surgeon; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Surgery, CardioVascular Center, Cardiac Surgery Appt. Phone: 617-636-5590 Fax #: 617-636-6410 Surgical treatment of acquired heart disease, surgical repair of valvular heart disease, surgical repair of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, minimally invasive surgery, arrhythmia surgery, heart transplantation, circulatory assist devices View Full Profile Request Appointment Andrew R. Weintraub, MD Title(s): Associate Director, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Center; Medical Director, Valvular and Structural Heart Health Center; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-6140 Fax #: 617-636-2276 Interventional cardiology, vascular medicine, peripheral vascular intervention View Full Profile Request Appointment Benjamin S. Wessler, MD Title(s): Director, Valve Center; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273 Fax #: 617-636-5913 Non-invasive cardiology, echocardiography View Full Profile Request Appointment Yong Zhan, MD Title(s): Cardiothoracic Surgeon; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Surgery, CardioVascular Center, Cardiac Surgery Appt. Phone: 617-636-5590 Fax #: 617-636-6410 Surgical treatment of acquired heart disease, surgical repair of valvular heart disease minimally invasive surgery, arrhythmia surgery, heart transplantation, circulatory assist devices View Full Profile
