Morristown Medical Center’s Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute is First in the U.S. to Perform a Leaflet Modification Procedure with ShortCut

PR contact: Karen Zatorski

Solution Designed to Reduce the Risk of Coronary Obstruction During TAVR

Morristown, New Jersey – March 18, 2025 – On February 25, Philippe Généreux, M.D. and Gennaro Giustino, M.D. and their team successfully performed a procedure using ShortCut™, the world's first FDA cleared device that is dedicated to leaflet modification, enabling a safer valve-in-valve (ViV) Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure in patients at risk of coronary obstruction. This is the first time this device was used commercially in the United States.

TAVR has become the preferred treatment for aortic stenosis, recently surpassing surgery even in patients younger than 65.* As bioprosthetic valves degenerate over time, these patients will at some point likely need a valve-in-valve procedure to be performed, and a significant portion of them who are at risk for coronary obstruction will require leaflet splitting with ShortCut™. Recently published models predict that by 2035, more than 40,000 valve-in-valve (ViV) procedures will be performed annually in the U.S., representing more than 15% of all TAVR procedures.**

“We are honored to have performed the first commercial ShortCut™ procedure and to be at the forefront of the innovative field of leaflet modification,” said Dr. Généreux, Medical Director of the Structural Heart Program at Morristown Medical Center’s Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute. “In the past, treating this challenging patient population was possible with surgical approaches or complex techniques. With ShortCut™, we safely split both the RCC and LCC leaflets in a simple, predictable, and controlled manner, enabling safe placement of a TAVR.”

Morristown Medical Center has the largest TAVR program in New Jersey and is the top program in the nation. Earlier this year, its structural heart program marked a significant milestone of performing over 5,000 TAVR procedures, the first in New Jersey and among the first to accomplish this in the United States.

Future planned indication expansion into native and bicuspid valves may mean that around 30% of future TAVR cases will require leaflet modification with ShortCut™ in order to be performed safely and obtain optimal results for patients. ShortCut is a ground-breaking device that is specifically designed to mechanically split preexisting valve leaflets prior to TAVR, aiming to reduce the risk of coronary obstruction or impaired coronary access and enabling a safer ViV TAVR procedure. For more information, visit https://www.pi-cardia.net/

About Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 21,000 team members and more than 6,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.

The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its eight hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.

The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,700 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.

Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 30 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Health Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.

Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability, has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers, and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.

References
*O'Riordan, Michael. TCTMD, June 2024
**Généreux, Philippe., et al. Structural Heart Journal, July 2024

Published: March 18, 2025

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