The Medical Center of Central Georgia, one of the areas largest private employers, is using new services and technology to treat more patients and help save lives.

One new procedure offered at the Medical Center is called trans-cutaneous aortic valve replacement, which according to cardiologist Juan Esnard was only recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

Esnard says the procedure offers an alternative to open heart surgery for the elderly and other high risk patients suffering from aortic valve stenosis, which he describes as a constricting and hardening of the valve through calcification.

"It's been a tremendous break through and I think it's going to continue to expand the abilities of us to treat some of the more difficult patients and eventually all the other patients," Esnard said.

Esnard says the new procedure involves using a catheter tube inserted in the upper thigh, to move an Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve and balloon through the body, into the aorta in the chest. The balloon is used to open up the aortic valve and the new valve is placed inside the old one, opening up blood flow to the heart.

"The fact that we can do it minimally invasive and as the time goes along this will become even easier and safer to do obviously it's wonderful for all of us," Esnard said.

Esnard says The Medical Center is one of only one-hundred facilities across the country allowed to provide the procedure, which means the hospital can better serve people locally, and draw more patients from around the region.

"For us to be able to offer this to all of our patients, not only our patients but all the other patients in middle Georgia, and this local hospital I think are wonderful," Esnard said. "I think it will grow the population that we're treating and it will show other local communities not only in middle Georgia but all around the southeast that this is a place where you can send you patients to and get the complete cardiac care that they may need."