HeartValveSurgery.com and Medtronic Launch Novel “Aortic Stenosis Patient Activation Platform” to Empower Patients

HeartValveSurgery.com, a leading patient advocacy group for heart valve disease, with support from Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, today launched the “Aortic Stenosis Patient Activation Platform”, an end-to-end digital platform for patient awareness, patient education, and patient activation specific to aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve which prevents the aortic leaflets from opening and closing properly. As a result, the heart must work “over time” to pump blood throughout the body. Patients with aortic stenosis often have heart murmurs and experience debilitating symptoms including chest pain, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath and an irregular heartbeat.

“Aortic stenosis is a deadly and under-treated disease,” states Dr. Ashish Aneja, Director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MetroHealth. Without treatment, up to 50% of patients will die 24 months after the onset of symptoms (1). According to Dr. Kendra Grubb, Surgical Director of the Emory Structural Heart & Valve Center, approximately 40% (†) of patients with aortic stenosis in the United States do not get treatment because their symptoms are often misdiagnosed or ignored (2).

Mortality after Onset of Severe Aortic Stenosis Symptoms

Two common approaches for treating aortic stenosis include surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). During the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the use of TAVR for aortic stenosis as the estimated number of TAVR procedures performed per year in the United States has increased from 4,600 procedures in 2012 to over 100,000 procedures in 2023 (3).

Because treatment continues to increase and evolve, the “Aortic Stenosis Patient Activation Platform”, developed by HeartValveSurgery.com with support from Medtronic and a world-renowned team of physicians, will increase awareness and education for aortic stenosis patients. The proprietary platform leverages artificial intelligence, patient-centric algorithms, geolocation strategies, next-generation telephony engines, robust patient databases, and a social media following of over 500,000 people.

“Using an integrated system of proprietary digital building blocks, the Aortic Stenosis Patient Activation Platform helps patients establish real-time connections with fifty heart teams that specialize in aortic stenosis treatment,” states Adam Pick, who started HeartValveSurgery.com after having an aortic valve replacement in 2006.

“At Medtronic, we are committed to helping aortic stenosis patients benefit from durable, minimally invasive devices that consider the lifetime management of heart valve disease,” stated Nina Goodheart, Senior Vice President and President, Structural Heart & Aortic, which is part of the Cardiovascular Portfolio at Medtronic. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Heart-Valve-Surgery.com and heart teams across the nation on this important initiative.”

Related Links:

• See the Aortic Stenosis Patient Activation Platform.
• Explore the TAVR Heart Team Finder.
• Download the new eBook, “Medtronic TAVR Procedure: What 7 Facts Should Patients Know?”.

References:

† Reflects total number of patients who could receive an aortic valve replacement.
1 Ross J Jr, Braunwald E. Aortic stenosis. Circulation. July 1968;38(1 Suppl):61-67.
2 Medtronic Data on File.
3 Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database and Cardiovascular Business, Presented by Dr. Michael Mack at Controversies & Advances in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease Conference, December, 2023.