Bill Fenton, TAVR
Now, Bill’s cardiologist is Tushar Acharya, MD, MPH, a cardiovascular imaging expert who is part of the Structural Heart team. This past summer, Dr. Acharya informed Bill that his aortic valve was closed. “I just rode my bike 50 miles. How could this be?” Bill asked. In evaluating Bill for a minimally invasive valve replacement procedure (TAVR) versus open heart surgery, the Structural Heart team discovered Bill had a tumor on a kidney. “This made me a candidate for TAVR. I had two surgeries in 26 days – TAVR at the end of July and kidney removal at the end of August. Fortunately, the cancer was removed and I’m back to my normal activities,” said Bill who will turn 71 soon. He averages 400 miles a month on his bicycle and is tracking 4,000 miles for the year despite his rough stretch during the summer.
These sudden health alarms reminded Bill to not take anything for granted. “Don’t buy green bananas. You don’t know if you’ll be around for them to ripen,” said Bill, although he continues to ride on.
Dana McCune, MitraClip
Fortunately, her husband flagged emergency responders who worked to resuscitate her. Unable to determine the cause of her heart attack, she was transferred to Banner – University Medical Center Tucson for a cardiac MRI. Stress was the likely cause. Dana also has a complicated health history that included Hodgkins Disease, age 27, that involved radiation therapy, breast cancer that led to a double mastectomy, and now, polycystic kidney and liver disease.
“I was hoping to get on the kidney transplant list to treat this inherited condition,” said Dana. However, a year after her heart attack, the Structural Heart Team detected her mitral valve was leaking and she was a candidate for the MitraClip procedure, implanted by Dr. Arka Chatterjee. She spent a night in the hospital and now is breathing easier since her mitral valve leak has been reduced from severe to minimal. “I also have pulmonary edema. Between a CPAP machine for sleeping and the medical management of my heart condition, I’m hoping to talk to my doctor about getting on the kidney transplant list now,” said Dana.
“I’m so happy with the care I received, particularly from Allison Klatt (MSN, FNP). She’s awesome and so responsive. She answered all of my questions.”
Robert Hunt, TAVR
Best wishes to Robert and Inge Hunt as they celebrate a very happy 66th anniversary together. They both are doing very well following his TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) procedure in March 2020. They wrote: "MANY grateful family members want to thank you and your amazing surgeons for the miracle of extended life TAVR provides. TAVR TEAM Rocks!" At age 92, Robert was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, making him a TAVR candidate. Since the procedure, he also marked his 93rd birthday. Sending wishes for many more!