Milestone reflects growing demand for advanced, minimally invasive heart care.

Frye Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint hospital and Duke Health Affiliate in Heart, has completed its 100th Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure, marking a major achievement for the hospital’s expanding structural heart program.

Frye Regional became the first hospital in the Western Piedmont Region to offer TAVR in July 2024. Since then, the program – launched in collaboration with Duke Heart Network – has grown quickly as more patients seek less invasive alternatives to open-heart surgery.

The 100th TAVR procedure was performed by the multidisciplinary structural heart team composed of interventional cardiologists, John Morrison, MD, FACC, and Jonathan Mayl, MD, FACC, and cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, Brett Starr, MD, FACS.

Frye Regional’s continued momentum is underscored by several national honors earned in 2025. The hospital received the American College of Cardiology’s HeartCARE Center™ National Distinction of Excellence for the fifth consecutive year and the ACC NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, recognizing outstanding guideline-driven heart attack care. The hospital also earned multiple American Heart Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards across heart attack, heart failure, stroke and resuscitation, including top-tier Gold Plus and Elite Honor Roll distinctions. These achievements illustrate the hospital’s consistent high-quality outcomes and focus on evidence-based care.

“At Frye Regional, we are committed to cardiac excellence and compassionate care, close to home,” said Philip Greene, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Frye Regional Medical Center. “Reaching our 100th TAVR milestone – during a year marked by national recognition – reflects the dedication of our team and the exceptional care they provide to our community.”

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure that allows physicians to replace a diseased aortic valve using a catheter-based approach rather than opening the chest. For many patients, especially those at higher surgical risk, TAVR results in shorter recovery times, fewer complications and a faster return to daily activities.

According to the American Heart Association, aortic stenosis affects up to 1.6 million adults in the United States, causing symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue and reduced physical activity. TAVR provides a critical treatment option for patients who may not be candidates for traditional surgery.

The Frye Regional Heart Center offers a range of advanced cardiac services, including mitral and tricuspid valve repair, surgical aortic valve replacement and other structural heart interventions. As a Duke Health Affiliate in Heart, the center benefits from the most current training and staff education when it comes to heart care.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Frye Regional heart specialist, visit FryeMedCtr.com/heart-care or call 828.261.0009.

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