Dothan Hospital Reaches 500 Valve Procedures

Local patients with severe aortic stenosis at high surgical risk now have a less invasive valve option.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Heart Disease

Photograph of a sterile operating room corner with a surgical lamp over a draped blue table and steel instruments on a pale green wall. — Southeast Health Medical Center in Dothan performed its 500th transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure on November 5, offering a less invasive option for high-risk patients. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you trust a local hospital's minimally invasive heart valve procedure over open-heart surgery?

Southeast Health Medical Center in Dothan performed its 500th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure on Thursday, November 5. The minimally invasive procedure is an option for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high risk for traditional valve replacement surgery.

Why it matters

For patients whose narrowed aortic valve makes open-heart surgery risky, TAVR offers a less invasive path to valve replacement. The milestone reflects growing local use of the procedure since Dothan's first TAVR was performed in 2017.

The milestone is a procedure count reported by Southeast Health Medical Center, with no published outcome data in the source. The figure of 500 procedures is drawn from the medical center's own program records since its first TAVR in 2017.

The players

Southeast Health Medical Center

A Dothan hospital whose Cardiovascular Institute runs the TAVR program that performed the 500th procedure.

Southeast Health Cardiovascular Institute

The cardiac care program of Southeast Health that houses the cardiologists and surgeons who perform TAVR.

Dr. Charles Eugene Mayes Jr.

A cardiologist with the Southeast Health Cardiovascular Institute who performed the 500th TAVR procedure.

Dr. Steven F. Johnson

A cardiothoracic surgeon with the Southeast Health Cardiovascular Institute who performed the 500th TAVR procedure.

The details

TAVR inserts an artificial aortic valve inside an existing valve that has been narrowed by stenosis, so the new valve works within the old one rather than replacing it through open surgery. An interventional cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon work with a multidisciplinary team to perform the procedure, which was carried out in the medical center's catheterization lab. The approach generally means a shorter recovery, less pain, and a shorter hospital stay than open-heart surgery.

2017: Southeast Health performed Dothan's first TAVR procedure.
November 5, 2026: The medical center performed its 500th TAVR procedure.

Health Landscape

TAVR is positioned as an option for patients at high risk for traditional valve replacement surgery rather than as a universal replacement for open surgery. Its growing use in local programs reflects the broader shift toward less invasive treatments for severe aortic stenosis.

If you have been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, ask your cardiologist whether TAVR is a candidate option for your situation. Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting warrant prompt discussion with a physician.

The takeaway

A 500th procedure marks sustained local experience with TAVR as a less invasive valve option. Anyone with a known heart valve narrowing should raise TAVR and its suitability with their cardiologist.