At the SAHZU Heart Center, a team of innovative cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac radiologists, and nurses work closely together to provide leading cardiac care.

Each year, approximately 9,000 diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are performed in the catheter lab, pioneering in the clinical use of cutting-edge interventional cardiac procedures, such as Transaortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), MitraClip, magnet guided radiofrequency ablation. The Center tops the country in the treatment of complex lesions of coronary heart disease through rotational atherectomy and hybrid procedures. What's more, the Center is the first institution in Asia Pacific region to treat congestive heart failure patients with hydrogel implant Algisyl-LVR.

Besides, it is one of the first nationally recognized regional Centers of Excellence in cardiovascular diseases. The Center ranks the fourth in cardiology in the Fudan Best Chinese Hospital Ranking 2020. Recognized for its contribution, the Center has been singled out to be the only institution in Asia to co-chair CSI congenital and structural interventions conference. The head of the Center is also the inaugural  editor-in-chief of JACC: ASIA, the first region specific journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Furthermore, the Center hosts a variety of medical education courses and conferences for practicing physicians. One of the signature annual conferences, China Valve (Hangzhou), attracted 1,500 attendees and nearly 840,000 online views from China and another 22 countries and regions in 2021, with its broad coverage of academic topics and live demonstration of cardiac procedures. In addition, the Center also offers training opportunities for overseas fellows and residents.

HANGZHOU SOLUTION

Supra-annular sizing strategy for Bicuspid Aortic Vale

In the last decade, SAHZU heart valve team explored a series of solutions centered around valvular diseases in collaboration with researchers of material science and information and the industry.

The team first mapped valvular heart disease by examining 140,000 patients, and identified a new mutation in ADAMTS5 that causes bicuspid aortic valve-associated aortic stenosis.

Based on further research in epidemiology, genetics, and pathogenesis, the team then developed the Hangzhou Solution, a comprehensive solution of transcatheter aortic valve replacement that specifically accommodates Chinese heart valvular disease patients. This systematic approach allows a cardiologist to choose valve size according to patients’ supravalvular annulus structure. With a 4.0% one-year mortality, a 9.3% severe conduction abnormality, and 4.9% moderate and severe paravalvular regurgitation, the Hangzhou Solution significantly improves the quality of life of patients.

The team went on to develop the first Chinese-designed and innovated retrievable and navigable artificial heart valve, the VenusA-Plus, which has been successfully implanted in patients in over 100 medical centers in South America, Europe, and Asia. Recently, the team developed the percutaneous transfemoral device for mitral regurgitation which is also the first of its kind in the world. The clinical application of the device is underway.

Know more about the Department of Cardiology or Cardivascular Surgery.