Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Medtronic Structural Heart Disease visited Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital for Academic Exchange

Recently, Professor Kendra Grubb, an internationally renowned expert in the field of structural heart disease and Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Medtronic Structural Heart Disease, visited Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (referred to as "XMCH"). Together with President Wang Yan and his team, she engaged in in-depth academic discussions on cutting-edge topics in the field of TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) and participated in hands-on surgical exchanges. This visit laid a solid foundation for deeper future cooperation between the two parties and injected new momentum into advancing regional interventional cardiology standards.

About Professor Kendra Grubb

Professor Kendra Grubb, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Medtronic Structural Heart Disease, previously served at Emory University Hospital in the United States. She is a highly respected cardiac surgeon with a profound academic background and extensive clinical experience in the treatment of heart valve diseases. She has been dedicated to advancing innovative and minimally invasive technologies in structural heart disease treatment.

Accompanied by President Wang Yan, Professor Grubb toured several core departments and specialized treatment centers of XMCH. During the visit, President Wang Yan comprehensively showcased the hospital's medical facilities, technical capabilities, and humanistic environment. The hospital's advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment, rigorous and efficient medical workflows, internationally benchmarked environment, forward-looking discipline development, and global perspective left a deep impression on Professor Grubb and her team.Professor Grubb paid special attention to the academic achievements of XMCH in the field of interventional cardiology. She highly praised the hospital's advanced treatment models and capabilities in performing complex, high-difficulty surgeries, expressing strong anticipation for future deepened academic exchanges and collaboration between both parties.

The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics such as the development trends of TAVR and full lifecycle management, sharing unique insights and practical experiences. These exchanges provided numerous innovative ideas and forward-looking directions for the further development of the TAVR field.

In the surgical session, President Wang Yan's team collaborated with Professor Grubb to successfully perform a TAVR procedure using the Evolut PRO self-expanding transcatheter heart valve for a 68-year-old patient with severe Type 1 bicuspid aortic valve stenosis.

 The patient presented with a Type 1 bicuspid aortic valve anomaly, with non-calcified fusion on the right side, significant calcification of the left coronary cusp, a wide-open LVOT (left ventricular outflow tract), a heart angle of 53°, and an enlarged cardiac chamber. Through precise and thorough preoperative evaluation and meticulous procedural planning, the team established femoral artery access smoothly, advanced the balloon and valve delivery systems successfully, and released the valve after pre-dilatation.

The implanted valve depth was accurately controlled: 5 mm on the non-coronary sinus side and 8 mm on the left coronary sinus side. Post-dilatation achieved an ideal result. Postoperative angiography and echocardiography confirmed excellent valve morphology, positioning, and function, with immediate hemodynamic improvement. No dissection or other complications occurred, marking a complete surgical success and a "new heart" for the patient.

This visit not only provided a valuable opportunity for technical exchange and conceptual dialogue in TAVR but also built a platform for exchanges between medical institutions and international healthcare enterprises in areas such as technological innovation, academic research, and industrial collaboration.

Looking ahead, both the XMCH team and Professor Grubb look forward to further deepening cooperation. Through ongoing academic dialogue and practical exploration, they aim to jointly pioneer new pathways for interventional treatment of valve diseases, contributing more wisdom and strength to the health and well-being of patients worldwide.