Page 16 - 2020 Resource Guide

HEALTH CARE

BAPTIST HEALTH PADUCAH

In 2019, Baptist Health Paducah once again proved it is the
area’s heart care leader. Baptist Health became the only
hospital in the region to offer groundbreaking transcatheter
aortic valve replacements (TAVRs).
A heart team consisting of Martin Rains, MD, and
Michael Faulkner, MD, the region’s only two structural
interventional cardiologists, and cardiothoracic surgeon
Nicholas Lopez, MD, provide this innovative new
procedure for cardiac patients that offers a minimally
invasive alternative to traditional open-heart surgery. The
procedure uses a catheter to replace a failing heart valve,
making it much less invasive than open-heart operations. supportive administrators and community philanthropists.

Drs. Rains and Faulkner, who both grew up in western Our team is excited to continue to provide high quality,
Kentucky, returned home to practice with the goal of evidence-based approaches that help patients live more
bringing TAVR to our area. enjoyable lives.”
“Two and half years ago, I was excited to return home to The Medtronic Evolut™ PRO+ TAVR System is used to
Paducah to join what has long been the region’s leader in treat patients with aortic stenosis, one of the most common
heart care,” Dr. Rains said. “To partner with colleagues heart valve diseases. Aortic stenosis affects more than 2.5
like Drs. Faulkner and Lopez in offering a truly unique million Americans over the age of 75 annually.
approach to cardiovascular care – a team approach to better Severe aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve leaflets
the lives of patients in our community — was something become stiff and thickened and have difficulty opening and
that excited me. closing, making the heart work harder to pump blood to
“We are proud to offer this procedure here. The citizens of the rest of the body and, therefore, affecting an individual’s
our region deserve to receive ‘big city’ care at home. It has daily activities. If left untreated, patients with symptomatic
been a massive institutional effort here at Baptist Health severe aortic stenosis can die from heart failure in as little
Paducah to launch this program, and was made possible by as two years.

16 | PADUCAH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2020 BUSINESS OVERVIEW