Bronson Methodist Hospital and Bronson Advanced Cardiac Healthcare are celebrating 13 years of performing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure that has given hundreds of Southwest Michigan residents a new lease on life.

Since launching the program in 2012, the hospital's heart care team has completed more than 840 successful TAVR procedures, achieving a 98% success rate, according to a community announcement.

TAVR has transformed the treatment of severe aortic stenosis, a condition where the narrowing of the heart's aortic valve restricts blood flow, often causing fatigue, chest pain and potentially leading to heart failure. Without timely treatment, nearly half of those affected may not survive beyond two years.

"For many patients, open-heart

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