Pedro Villablanca, MD, and Brian O'Neill, MD, completed the first minimally-invasive valve replacement procedure in the U.S. using the new LuX-Valve Plus device.
Dr. Villablanca and Dr. O'Neill, cardiologists at Henry Ford Health's Center for Structural Heart Disease in Detroit, performed the procedure on a patient with symptomatic tricuspid valve disease who cannot undergo traditional open-heart surgery, according to an April 12 news release from the health system.
Developed by Dr. Villablanca and Dr. O'Neill, the LuX-Valve Plus device is a transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement that allows a shorter procedure time and faster recovery for patients, according to the release.
"We are hoping to leverage our experience with very sick patients who are out of options to help lead a clinical trial, which can better evaluate the safety and efficacy of this novel valve in all patients," Dr. O'Neill said in the release.