Newly Released Study by St. Francis Hospital Shows Echocardiograms Can Predict Survival in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis Who Do Not Undergo Valve Replacement

Roslyn, New York – St. Francis Hospital researchers have identified four indicators from echocardiograms that predicted survival rates in elderly patients who suffered from severe aortic stenosis but did not undergo surgical valve replacement. Eddy Barasch, M.D., presented the results of the study at the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) 2011 Scientific Session, where it generated considerable interest and was covered by the professional media.

The study examined elderly patients with normal left ventricular function who had symptoms of untreated aortic stenosis, or narrowing of the main outlet valve of the heart. According to Dr. Barasch, the findings can help physicians predict survival rates from surgery vs. medical therapy in patients such as these, based on certain flags raised from their echocardiograms.

“Being able to determine which patients would be good candidates for surgery is crucial in treating this chronic condition,” says Dr. Barasch, a leading researcher at St. Francis Hospital. “It will become even more important when minimally invasive devices for valve replacement become more widely available.”

“These findings are the end result of years of research in studying patients who have been thought be too ill or elderly to undergo surgery,” said Dr. Nathaniel Reichek, M.D., Director of the Cardiac Imaging Program. “It shows that some people who do not undergo surgery would actually benefit from it.”

The results showed that patients who survived without having surgery were younger, had a higher body-mass index, were less likely to have hypertension, kidney problems, diabetes or heart failure and more likely to have coronary artery disease.

Contact:
Paul Barry, 516-705-6657, paul.barry@chsli.org
Rosemary Gomez, 516-705-6656, rosemary.gomez@chsli.org