The transcather aortic valve replacement program (TAVR) started at the UA Sarver Heart Center in 2012 under the leadership of Kapil Lotun, MD, an interventional cardiologist who has clinical expertise in structural heart disease and congenital heart defects. The TAVR procedure is a minimally invasive catheter-based treatment option for patients who are considered "high or medium" risk to survive open-heart surgery to replace aortic valves affected by severe aortic stenosis. In this condition, the valve does not open properly and blood cannot leave the heart chambers to get out to the rest of the body.
The team includes specially trained cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, nurse practitioners, nurses and medical assistants, plus other health professionals.
Interventional Cardiologists |
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Kapil Lotun, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, RVT Associate Professor of Medicine |
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Assistant Professor of Medicine |
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Adult Cardiothoracic Surgeon |
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Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery |
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Support Staff |
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Kristie W. Fry, ACNP-BC Structural Heart Nurse Practitioner |
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Devan V. Lodge, RN, MSc, CCRN RN Clinical Coordinator Structural Heart Disease |
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Erin Scala, RN, BSN RN Clinical Coordinator Structural Heart Disease |
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For more information or to refer a patient, contact:
Phone: (520) 694-4686 • Fax: (520) 694-1007 • BUMCTStructuralHeart@bannerhealth.com