More than a dozen former patients who participated in Montefiore Medical Center's "Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement" program celebrated the success of their procedures.

The program offered patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis, and are at high risk for open-heart surgery, a minimally invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve.

Patients who came out to celebrate say the surgery saved their lives.

It is estimated that 50 to 60 percent of the patients with aortic stenosis would have died within two years of their diagnosis, but the replacement procedure can prolong and enhance the quality of life for those afflicted.