Ken D.
“I’m extremely thankful that TAVR was available so close to
home and by such an experienced, caring team.”
Ken Darby was in pain. His aortic valve had grown so calcified, his cardiologist
likened it to porcelain. He couldn’t walk up hills without getting
winded, he was tired all the time, and a trip he and his wife, Annette,
had planned to France had to be put on hold.
He needed surgery.
Darby had already undergone an open heart bypass surgery in 2006, but surgeons
left his calcified aorta alone. It was too hardened, even then, to risk
clamping and replacing because a shard of it could break off, travel up
to his brain and cause a stroke.
By March of this year, however, the 75-year-old retired Yorba Linda educator
could not wait much longer. His quality of life was declining, and the
pain in his chest was getting worse. Ramesh Rathod, M.D., a cardiologist
at St. Jude Medical Center, a member of the St. Joseph Hoag Health alliance,
performed an echocardiogram and an angiogram and determined Darby was
a good candidate for the new, non-surgical
transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
TAVR uses a tiny incision in the groin area to snake a catheter containing
a bio-prosthetic valve into the patient’s own damaged aortic valve.
The new valve is put into place, and the heart begins operating normally.
Not many medical centers offer this treatment, but thankfully for Orange
County patients,
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian has been performing this relatively new procedure for two years.
“Convenience is a big factor,” said Dr. Rathod. “Driving
to different hospitals in LA can be difficult for patients and family
members.”
Hoag also offered something other hospitals don’t – compassion.
Darby raved about his medical team including: Cardiologist Subbarao Myla,
M.D.; Cardiovascular Surgeons Anthony Caffarelli, M.D. and Aidan Raney,
M.D.; Echocardiologist Pravin Shah, M.D., Valve Center Pre-Op nurse Marita
Fabros and TAVR Nurse Practitioner, Peggy Morley, DNP, CCNS, ANP-BC. Morley
met with Ken and Annette, went through all the information, handled the
insurance issues necessary to get his procedure approved, set up meetings
between Darby and the whole medical team and took a lot of the stress
out of the situation for both Ken and Annette.
“Peggy Morley was an absolute saint in this. We couldn’t have
accomplished this without her help,” said Ken. “Afterwards,
she called just to check up on me. She was great."
In fact, Darby’s whole team stood out to him as being helpful and
considerate.
“We have a well-trained team composed of interventional cardiologists,
cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists and nurses,” said co-director
of Hoag Cardiovascular Surgery
Anthony Caffarelli, M.D. “The team focuses first on evaluation and education, followed by
execution of the procedure with meticulous follow through – not
only for the patient but also their family. The results are better outcomes
and happier patients.”
During the procedure, nurse Jenny Rivas called a very nervous Annette on
her cell phone with periodic updates from the hybrid cardiac operating
room. Thanks to Jenny’s calls, Annette knew when prep was over,
when the new valve was in place and even when to expect the doctors to
come out and talk to her.
“When she said, ‘Let me have your cell phone number,’
I didn’t expect her to call like that,” Annette said. “It
took the anxiety off because I knew what was going on. I wasn’t
worried the entire time.”
Because
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure, recovery was relatively quick. Within three weeks of his procedure, Darby
resumed all his normal activities, including golf, daily walks with Annette
and going to the gym. They’re now talking about revisiting that
France trip.
“All in all it was a marvelous experience, if being in the hospital
and having a procedure can be a marvelous experience,” Ken laughed.
“I’m extremely thankful that TAVR was available so close to
home and by such an experienced, caring team.”