Oct. 22, 2014 — Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons became the first in Texas to implant the Solo Smart Aortic Pericardial Heart Valve. Faraz Kerendi, M.D. and Stephen J. Dewan M.D., performed the procedure at Heart Hospital of Austin.
The Solo Smart valve is the first valve with a removable stent to be approved in the U.S. market. Designed from bovine pericardium, the valve is fully biological, with no synthetic material added. This prosthesis mimics the healthy native aortic valve, preserves the aortic root physiology, eliminates excess synthetic material and maximizes blood flow.
The Solo Smart valve also features a removable nickel-titanium alloy stent, which provides support during implantation, but it is completely removed once the valve is sutured in. Once the stent is removed following implantation, the Solo Smart valve becomes an entirely stentless valve, providing low pressure gradients and large openings.
The Solo Smart Aortic Pericardial Heart Valve was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2014. Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons will be training surgeons on how to implant the new valve at Heart Hospital of Austin, which is one of four current training sites across the United States.
October 23, 2026 
