Overview
The first V-Clamp minimally invasive mitral valve repair commercial case in Florida was completed successfully by medical team from Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology and ACCESS Palm Beach with the technical assistance from HongYu Medical at the end of this April.
Introduction of the Medical Team
Dr. Dewey Carpenter is the Mitral Valve TEER team leader and head cardiologist for Sawgras Veterinary Cardiology. He graduated in 2000 with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and completed his residency in comparative cardiology at the University of Minnesota in 2004. He opened Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology in 2016 and has a passion for performing interventional cardiology procedures and has particular interest in minimally invasive procedures for mitral valve disease. He is also interested in 3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography as well as congenital cardiac abnormalities and of course canine chronic degenerative valve disease.
Highlights
Dr. Unis is the surgeon for the Mitral Valve TEER procedure. He graduated in 2007 with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and a Masters in Veterinary Anatomy. His academic surgical training took place in several of the top veterinary colleges in the country including North Carolina State University, University of Illinois and Kansas State University. He became board-certified in veterinary surgery in 2012. During his training he specialized in advanced orthopedics, soft tissue surgery, oncologic surgery, neurosurgery, interventional radiology and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Unis is most passionate about minimally invasive surgery and joint replacements, as well as any new techniques that will minimize discomfort from surgery and provide the safest and fastest recovery.
Dr. John Hertzer is the transesophageal echocardiographer for the Mitral Valve TEER team. He is currently a third-year resident with Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology and looks to complete board certification in 2025. He graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. He then completed a rotating internship at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 and a cardiology specialty internship with Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology 2022. Dr. Hertzler has a interest in diastology, electrocardiography and as well as cardiology interventional procedures. He firmly believes that client understanding of their pet’s disease is crucial to each patient’s long-term survival and strives to educate owners about their pet’s healthcare plan.
About the Hospital
Details
Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology (SVC) is a privately owned veterinary cardiology specialty practice which has 3 separate locations in South Florida and began operation in 2016. SVC is a full-service cardiology practice offering state of the art cardiac care as well as multiple cardiac interventional procedures. We can perform both transesophageal (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography in 2D and 3D.
Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology began a partnership with ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital of Palm Beach County Florida in 2021. ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital is a new progressive multidisciplinary specialty and 24-hour emergency practice located in Royal Palm Beach Florida. This hospital is also privately owned by veterinary specialists and was purposely built to provide the highest standard of care. This 20,000 sq ft facility has 5 ORs, including a minimally invasive and an interventional radiology suite, plus a separate OR for ER surgeries, 64 slice CT, 1.5 Tesla MRI, Fluoroscopy (C-arm), 2 radiology suites, separate fully equipped ICU and ER treatment areas, endoscopy, cystoscopy, Arthrex nanoscope, 3 ultrasound machines (2 ultrasound rooms), canine and feline intermediate care wards, I131 ward, separate pharmacy and diagnostic lab, 15 exam rooms, large isolation room, oxygen generators and a whole hospital emergency generator.
Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology has partnered with the surgical and anesthesia departments at ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital of Palm Beach County Florida to provide the Mitral Valve TEER procedure.
Case Profile
Outcomes
Comparison of Regurgitation before and after Surgery
Feedbacks from Vito's Owner
We are expecting to help cure more patients of canine mitral regurgitation with the joint efforts of the V-Clamp centers and Hongyu!
Discussion
About V-Clamp
The V-Clamp serves as the veterinary counterpart to the human Mitra-Clip. With a compact size of approximately 8 mm, it is surgically implanted to conjoin the two leaflets of the mitral valve in patients afflicted with myxomatous mitral valve disease. This action aims to mitigate the backward flow of blood through the valve, a phenomenon responsible for heart failure in both veterinary and human cases. Clinical studies have validated the V-Clamp's efficacy in reducing the severity of mitral valve regurgitation in dogs. Notably, the procedure involves a small apical incision, significantly enhancing its safety profile.
About HongYu Medical
Shanghai Hongyu Medical Technology Co.,LTD, is a high-tech enterprise dedicating to pet cardiology research, innovative medical device R & D and commercialization, lts core product is the self-developed mitral valve interventional repair device V-Clamp. It is the only surgical instrument around the world which can be used to treat mitral regurgitation for pet dogs. The company adheres to the concept of innovation and development, with the mission of benefiting the lives of pets.
Closing Notes
