Southeast Health Performs 500th TAVR Procedure
The Dothan medical center reached the milestone in a minimally invasive heart valve program that began in 2017.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Heart Disease
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Southeast Health Medical Center performed its 500th transcatheter aortic valve replacement on Thursday, November 5. The procedure was carried out by cardiologist Dr. Charles Eugene Mayes Jr. and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Steven F. Johnson, both of the Southeast Health Cardiovascular Institute.
Why it matters
TAVR offers an option for patients at high risk for traditional valve replacement surgery, and the milestone reflects growing use of the procedure in the region. The program was made possible in part by a donation to the Southeast Health Foundation.
Southeast Health has completed 500 TAVR procedures since performing Dothan's first in 2017. The extraction does not provide outcome data or a comparison with other hospitals' volumes.
The players
Southeast Health Medical Center
A Dothan, Alabama hospital system whose cardiovascular institute runs the TAVR program that reached its 500th procedure.
Dr. Charles Eugene Mayes Jr.
A cardiologist with the Southeast Health Cardiovascular Institute who performed the 500th TAVR procedure alongside a surgeon.
Dr. Steven F. Johnson
A cardiothoracic surgeon with the Southeast Health Cardiovascular Institute who co-performed the 500th TAVR procedure.
The details
The procedure inserts an artificial aortic valve inside an existing aortic valve narrowed by stenosis, performed in the medical center's catheterization lab. An interventional cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon work with a multidisciplinary team that includes structural heart coordinator Kellie Rogero, a certified registered nurse practitioner. Compared with open-heart surgery, TAVR can offer severe aortic stenosis patients a shorter recovery, less pain and a shorter hospital stay.
Timeline
2017: Southeast Health performs Dothan's first TAVR procedure.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: The medical center performs its 500th TAVR procedure.
Health Landscape
TAVR has become a catheter-based alternative to open-heart valve surgery for patients at high surgical risk, and Southeast Health's 500th procedure shows the technique spreading into regional community hospitals. The milestone places Dothan's program within that broader shift away from open-chest operations for severe aortic stenosis.
Patients with severe aortic stenosis who are considered high risk for open-heart surgery may have a less invasive option through TAVR. The procedure can mean a shorter recovery, less pain and a shorter hospital stay than traditional surgery.
The takeaway
Patients facing aortic valve disease can ask their cardiologist whether they are candidates for TAVR, particularly if they are considered high risk for traditional surgery. Discussing both options with a multidisciplinary heart team is the practical next step.
Further reading
Explore more on Heart Disease coverage from the Dothan area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wiregrass Daily News.
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