For the third time in a row, Larry D. Johnson Heart & Vascular Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center has received the highest rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for its patient care and outcomes for the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) program. Among the 403 Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry participants that publicly report worldwide, only 5% of centers that perform TAVR achieve this highest rating.
“Memorial Hermann-TMC was the first and still only hospital in Texas to receive this distinguished rating three times, in 2023, 2024 and 2025,” said Kim Vu, interim associate vice president of hospital operations for Larry D. Johnson Heart & Vascular Institute. “This recognition exemplifies the commitment of our heart and vascular team to providing the highest quality care to patients every single day.”
The STS and ACC star-rating system is considered one of the most highly regarded measures of quality health care in the country. Memorial Hermann-TMC received a 3-star rating, the highest possible.
The team of affiliated doctors and nurses at Memorial Hermann-TMC was among the first in Texas to perform a commercial TAVR procedure in 2011 and now, 14 years later, the team of doctors, nurses and staff continue to be at the forefront of the TAVR procedure, achieving industry-leading patient outcomes.
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve in patients with severe aortic stenosis, which can cause chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue due to limited blood flow. Patients who have the TAVR procedure often spend just one day in the hospital and experience a quicker recovery than with traditional heart surgery.