PHOENIX (July 9, 2026) – Banner Health’s world-class cardiovascular teams are transforming research discoveries into new diagnostics and treatments for heart disease, positioning Phoenix as a premier destination for cardiac innovation. This commitment to advancing care recently gave 89-year-old George Berry access to a groundbreaking procedure, performed for the first time in the country, that may have saved his life.
“I’m incredibly lucky to have benefitted from this new treatment and gone home the following day,” Berry said after receiving the innovative minimally invasive procedure that eliminates the need for open heart surgery. “I hope these advancements Banner is bringing to the forefront create more hope for other patients like me, and more time spent living life with families and friends.”
In June, Banner surgeons successfully removed two clips from Berry’s valve before performing a valve replacement in a procedure that improves recovery times and gives hope to those with no other treatment options. A highly specialized medical team at Banner — University Medical Center Phoenix performed the complex first-in-nation procedure.
Berry’s successful outcome represents just one of several cardiovascular breakthroughs Banner achieved in 2026, demonstrating how the nonprofit health system translates cutting-edge research into life-saving treatments for patients today.
“This procedure was made possible only here at Banner, which is fully invested in our patients’ well-being,” said Paul Sorajja, MD, associate director of the Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute and a global leader in transcatheter valve interventions. “These patients have no other options, and to be able to offer something that no one else can currently offer says a lot about what Banner is doing for its community of patients.”
Berry, who lives in Surprise, had been suffering from severe tricuspid valve regurgitation, a serious condition in which the heart’s tricuspid valve fails to close completely, causing blood to flow backward and potentially leading to heart failure.
Several years ago, Berry was treated by placing metal clips to help reduce leakage of the heart valve. Unfortunately, his condition continued to progress over time. Treatment would require open heart surgery to remove the clips and replace the heart valve, which put Berry at great risk of ever recovering due to his age.
Through the Food and Drug Administration’s Expanded Access program, Berry was eligible to receive a new treatment option for his life-threatening condition. Dr. Sorajja and team successfully removed the two clips from Berry’s valve before performing a transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement. The minimally invasive procedure replaces a damaged valve without open-heart surgery, restoring valve function and shortening recovery time.
Banner’s cardiovascular innovation extends far beyond Berry’s case. Other recent accomplishments across the teams include:
- Led by Dr. Sorajja, Banner physicians pioneered the first FDA-approved device for severe mitral annular calcification, a heart valve condition that affects nearly 30% of elderly Americans that previously required open heart surgery.
- The program continues to advance groundbreaking research in complex arrhythmia care, including 20 clinical trials in electrophysiology.
- As part of its cardio-oncology program, Banner is one of 45 centers participating in a trial that explores whether a drug can prevent major cardiac events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy for cancer patients.
- Banner continues to lead heart transplantation in Arizona with a one-year survival rate that exceeds the national average, performing nearly 200 transplants since the program’s inception in 2020. The program has also completed more than 50 total artificial heart procedures, more than any other center worldwide since 2022.
Through its nonprofit mission and dedication to delivering advanced, high-quality health care to community members with an emphasis on prevention, Banner continues to lead the field in helping people get better and live healthy lives.
About Banner Health
As one of the nation's largest fully integrated nonprofit health systems, we are pioneering a sustainable care model that prioritizes prevention, manages chronic disease, and reduces health spending – succeeding when patients stay healthy, not when they get sick. We operate 33 hospitals and more than 400 sites across six states, delivering seamless care from primary to quaternary medicine, including health insurance, physician networks, world-renowned specialty services, and behavioral health. Accountable to the communities we serve, we reinvest every dollar into advancing care, research, and facilities, providing more than $1 billion each year in community benefit. Through our partnership with the University of Arizona, we drive clinical discoveries across more than 800 trials and train more than 1,300 residents and fellows annually. Headquartered in Arizona, we serve Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming. Our hospitals are consistently ranked among Arizona's top-performing by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/about.
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