The Core Valve project has been pioneered at St Vincent’s Hospital by interventional cardiologist, Professor David Muller, to treat patients with severe aortic valve stenosis.

St Vincent’s is one of only a small number of centres in the world to undertake trials of a new non-invasive technique to insert a prosthesis to replace failing aortic valves. The new procedure eliminates the need for surgical incisions required to access and support the heart, resulting in less recovery time and improved patient outcomes. The new Core Valve prosthesis provides a viable treatment option for elderly and frail patients for whom invasive open-heart surgery is often not suitable. However the procedure does not yet have a Medicare rebate and the high cost of the prosthesis, $ 25,000, limits this as a treatment option for the majority of people who need it.

The Curran Foundation and St Vincent's are indebted to Les Schirato AM, a Life Governor of the Curran Foundation, who has provided a generous financial assistance for Professor Muller’s ground-breaking work with the Core Valve.