This minimally invasive procedure can be alternative to open-heart surgery

Margene Welker wanted to leave huffing and puffing to the big bad wolves, but her 87-year-old body disagreed. Even walking from the bathroom to the kitchen left her lungs heaving. She often needed to sit down and catch her breath after only a few feet.

“It started taking longer and longer to recover. I just huffed and puffed and lost all my air,” Margene said. “The feeling didn’t come with sharp pains, but the pressure felt like an elephant sitting on my chest.”

After an initial appointment with her primary care physician, Margene met Dr. Brett Hiendlmayr, an interventional cardiologist based at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC). He listened to Margene’s heart and noticed a heart murmur, indicating turbulence of blood flow. An echocardiogram, or ultrasound of the heart, then identified the culprit: aortic stenosis, or narrowing of the aortic valve.

A new, minimally invasive way to replace diseased aortic valves

Aortic stenosis is a type of valve disease that reduces or blocks blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. The solution traditionally involved an open surgery, with a large incision and lengthy recovery. The thought of open-heart surgery made Margene shiver.

“Us older people cannot handle getting our sternum cut open! At my age, there’s no way!” Margene said.

An innovative and minimally invasive procedure to replace diseased aortic valves has been available at EIRMC for many years.

After a few more tests and a multidisciplinary discussion between structural and interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists and others, Margene’s heart team deemed her a good candidate for the procedure, called TAVR (transaortic valve replacement).

During TAVR, an interventional cardiologist inserts a new valve within the diseased valve, in a similar way to stents being placed within a damaged artery. For the minimally invasive approach, the damaged aortic valve is accessed via the femoral artery near the groin, thus avoiding a large incision.

“TAVR patients have shorter hospital stays, recover faster and feel better quicker. It’s rewarding to see, and beneficial to adult patients of all ages. I’ve even performed it on a 100-year-old,” Dr. Hiendlmayr said. “The biggest barrier to the treatment is getting properly diagnosed with aortic stenosis in the first place. That’s why I tell people that if they’re experiencing one of the three main symptoms of aortic stenosis – chest discomfort, shortness of breath or feeling dizzy – they should seek medical attention.”

EIRMC celebrates 300 TAVR procedures

As Margene awaited her TAVR procedure, Amber Kent, a structural heart coordinator at EIRMC, arrived with a memorable surprise.

“Amber came up to me and asked if I remembered her. I looked at her facial features and could see her as a little girl. I was her teacher when she was in fourth grade! That was a treat! Then she told me I was going to be the 300th TAVR patient at EIRMC – wow!” Margene said.

The EIRMC team celebrated the 300th TAVR procedure by presenting Margene with balloons and a thoughtful gift basket. Several hospital leaders, including the chief operating officer and director of cardiology, visited Margene to congratulate her on being the 300th TAVR. Margene was impressed that they took time out of their day to visit with her.

And while “all the fuss” helped Margene feel extra special, she says the quality of care, the attentive nurses, and the availability of the best and latest medical treatments solidified EIRMC as her hospital of choice.

“I say, ‘Take me to EIRMC,’ because they treated me like gold. I had such a good experience there, and that’s where I always want to go!” Margene said.