IHVI Introduces New Cardiovascular Hybrid OR

Eric L. Sarin, MD, is a cardiac and thoracic surgeon with Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI). He is Section Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery, Co-Director of the Structural Heart and Valve Program and Co-Director of Cardiovascular Research.

Inova Heart and Vascular Institute at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus is one of the most technologically advanced medical and research centers in the U.S. As part of our continued commitment to providing the best heart care, we’re proud to introduce our new, upgraded cardiovascular hybrid operating room (OR). This new hybrid OR allows our doctors to perform minimally invasive procedures with the latest technology.

Complete Renovation for Advanced Heart and Vascular Procedures

A cardiovascular hybrid OR is not new to IHVI. Our doctors have utilized this technology since 2010.

However, IHVI has continued to grow and serve more patients each year. This growth, along with changes in surgical techniques, has led to a need for a new generation of hybrid OR technology. The former hybrid OR was completely renovated this spring.

What is a cardiovascular hybrid OR?

A cardiovascular hybrid OR combines state-of-the-art imaging with the capabilities of a heart and vascular operating room. The imaging is like a live X-ray that allows doctors to see inside the body in real time. This is a critical feature for some surgeries and when positioning medical devices such as heart valves. In the cardiovascular hybrid OR, doctors use this specialized imaging as their guide, eliminating the need for large incisions.

With this imaging capability, doctors can transform traditional open surgeries (performed through a large incision) into minimally invasive procedures. As open surgeries, some of these procedures involved weeks or even months of recovery. With minimally invasive surgery in the hybrid OR, people often have drastically shorter and easier recoveries with fewer potential complications. They’re also less likely to need to spend recovery time in an intensive care unit (ICU).

Some of the procedures IHVI doctors perform in our hybrid OR include:

Complex electrophysiologic procedures

Cardiologists correct arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) with specialized catheter procedures that target specific areas of the heart. The hybrid OR equips doctors with the latest technology to perform these procedures with the most precision and effectiveness.

Endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR and EVAR)

During this procedure, doctors insert a graft (tube) into a thoracic or abdominal aortic aneurysm (a bulge in the aorta, the main artery that delivers blood to the body). In the past, this procedure required open surgery with a large incision on the chest or abdomen. With the hybrid OR, doctors use small groin incisions and X-rays to guide a stent graft into place.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) placement

ECMO is a specialized heart-lung machine that supports people whose heart or lungs cannot function well. Providing ECMO for a patient requires placing tubes into the veins and arteries.

Safely placing the tubes requires precise imaging that is not always found in a standard operating room. Our hybrid OR technology allows for safe and successful placement of these tubes.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

Also called transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), this procedure replaces a diseased aortic valve with a new one. Replacing an aortic valve used to require an open-heart procedure. IHVI doctors have now performed over 1,000 TAVRs using our hybrid OR. The hybrid OR also allows IHVI to offer cutting-edge technology for mitral and tricuspid valve disease as part of clinical trials.

Learn more about our state-of-the-art care at the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute.