A few years ago, many patients with serious heart valve conditions had only one option: open-heart surgery — or no surgery at all. Today, those same patients are often home the next day, breathing easier, with their hearts repaired through procedures measured in millimeters instead of inches.
That shift is at the heart of the Structural Heart Program at FMOL Health | St. Francis, and at its center is Jaclyn Green, NP, who helps guide patients through some of the most advanced heart procedures available in Northeast Louisiana.
It’s a model of care that blends advanced medicine with something just as important: helping people in Northeast Louisiana live better, longer lives without leaving home.
“Structural heart surgery is manipulation of the heart in a minimally invasive way,” Green explains. “The procedures we’re performing today, a few years ago, were only capable of being done with open-heart surgery.”
From Open-Heart Surgery to a Catheter the Size of a Straw
One of the most common procedures performed through the Structural Heart Program is transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR. Instead of opening the chest, physicians guide a new valve to the heart through a blood vessel, most often through the groin, and replace the damaged aortic valve from the inside.
“The development of transcatheter valve delivery has changed everything,” Green says. “We’re seeing the same outcomes as open aortic valve replacement without the stress of the surgery, the bypass machine and the other risks.”
In addition to TAVR, the program offers minimally invasive procedures to repair the mitral valve, reduce stroke risk, close holes in the heart and left atrial appendage occulsion, often through the same transcatheter approach.
A Program Built on Teamwork and Trust
The Structural Heart Program at St. Francis officially began in late 2018, and is made up of a collaborative team of cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists, an electrophysiologist and structural heart coordinators. Green serves as the program’s structural heart nurse practitioner.
“I’m pretty much the liaison between the patient and the physicians,” she says. “I’m responsible for making sure the guidelines are followed, criteria are met before the procedure takes place, and everything is documented and reported to national registries.”
She’s often the first person patients call with questions, helping translate complex information into something manageable.
“If the referral happens while they’re in the hospital, I’ll go to their room and talk about the procedure, expectations and answer immediate questions,” Green says. “After that, I stay available. If something needs to be escalated, I can do that.”
Big Volume, Local Impact
Every year, the Structural Heart Program at St. Francis touches the lives of more than 350 patients and their families across Northeast Louisiana. That volume isn’t accidental. It reflects a level of trust built one patient, one family and one outcome at a time.
“These are patients who may not have been able to undergo open-heart surgery in the past,” Green says. “Now, we’re able to offer them care that can truly change their quality of life.”
Because this level of care is available at St. Francis, patients don’t have to leave the region for advanced structural heart treatment.
“This is the only hospital in Northeast Louisiana that has a true structural heart program,” Green says. “That means patients can stay close to home, near their support systems, and still receive the care they need.”
Recovery is measured in days, with many patients heading home the very next day.
“With open-heart surgery, you’re looking at four to five days or more in the hospital,” Green says. “The outcomes of the patients, being that much improved with just one procedure, is what really keeps me going.”
Looking Ahead
The future of structural heart care is already taking shape. New valves and repairs are in development, including treatments for the tricuspid valve.
“We’re already talking about what’s next and getting trained,” Green says. “It’s amazing how technology has come so far.”
For Green, who started her career as an EKG tech and worked her way through the cath lab to nurse practitioner, cardiology has always been home.
“I love what I do,” she says. “Having the support from administration and leaders at St. Francis who have your back makes a difference, but successful patient outcomes is what brings joy to my career.”
And while the technology is remarkable, it’s the change she sees in her patients that matters most.
“The coolest part is hearing patients say, ‘I can breathe better,’” Green says. “Their heart was working so much harder, and once that valve is fixed, there’s immediate gratification.”
And for patients wondering if they should ask about structural heart care, her advice is simple.
“See your cardiologist and be honest about your symptoms,” Green says. “Don’t write them off as just getting older. Some of the things you put off could be something we can fix, and your quality of life could improve.”
The structural heart physician team includes:
- Sarah Ahmad, MD – Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Mazen J. Iqbal, MD – Electrophysiology
- Nauman Khalid, MD – Interventional Cardiology
- Thomas Ross Smith, MD – Interventional Cardiology
- Gregory Sampognaro, MD – Interventional Cardiology
