Retired Pilot's Health Outlook Soars After Valve Replacement Surgery
11/7/2019
By Cynthia Beth Gamble, ARNP-C, AACC
During three decades as a commercial pilot flying long hauls overseas, Chuck Harvey had to be meticulous in planning and executing his work. That same intense focus came into play last year when he was faced with a difficult choice: open heart surgery or a less invasive procedure that Venice Regional Bayfront Health was just beginning to offer.
“I knew I had to do something about my condition, so I checked with other sources and did a lot of research,” said Harvey, age 78. “I didn’t want to go into it without knowing what the outcome would be. I also didn’t want open heart surgery if I had another option.”
Harvey’s aortic heart valve was dangerously narrowed – a common condition that generally affects seniors and that can lead to sudden death. More than one in eight people aged 75 and older have moderate or severe aortic stenosis (narrowed heart valve), according to scientific studies. In the past, people suffering from the condition had limited options, such as open-heart surgery, to replace an unhealthy valve.
Today, patients can opt for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, which involves a small incision typically in the groin area. The interventionalist inserts a catheter into an artery and guides it to the heart to place the new valve, which is made from cow heart tissue. It’s the same material used for valves in open heart surgery, but the TAVR valve is designed to expand once it is placed.
This past summer, TAVR was approved for all patients with severe aortic stenosis, not just those who are not good candidates for open heart surgery.
Benefits of TAVR include shorter procedure and hospital stay times, relief of symptoms almost immediately, improved heart function, faster recovery, and less medication. Patients quickly experience improved energy and easier breathing. Patients who undergo this procedure also experience a significant decrease in all-cause mortality compared to traditional valve surgery.
“TAVR gives new hope who suffer from severe aortic stenosis,” said John Galat, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon who leads Venice Regional’s heart program. “Since Chuck Harvey’s successful procedure last year, we’ve helped dozens of patients using TAVR. Our heart team works as an efficient, cohesive unit from diagnosis to surgery, from recovery to follow up.”
Chuck Harvey’s journey to better health
Edmund Bermudez, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Gulf Coast Medical Group’s Regional Cardiac and Vascular Associates, began following Harvey in 2017 for a heart murmur. At the time, Harvey had moderate aortic valve stenosis. By 2018, the condition had progressed to a severe stage and to complicate matters, Harvey had developed chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis.
“Having multiple medical problems is typical of our patient population in Venice, which tends to be more advanced in age,” Dr. Bermudez said. “With Mr. Harvey, once his kidney problem was managed through dialysis, we could deal with the heart valve.”
“He was quite nervous at the time,” Dr. Bermudez said. “He’s very meticulous about knowing processes and what he could expect before, during and after the procedure. We had several phone calls to discuss the work up and procedure.”
Last December, the Venice Regional heart team, led by doctors Bermudez and Galat, implanted the replacement valve in a “very smooth, streamlined procedure without any hiccups,” Dr. Bermudez said. Harvey went home the next day.
“A few days before the procedure, I really felt comfortable, knowing what would happen,” Harvey said. “Everyone at the hospital was excellent. The rooms and procedures were extremely clean, and the nurses were fantastic. The doctors at Venice Regional – all of the specialists – work quite well together. It’s also a plus to work with the local hospital. You get the same care if not better and your partner can go home and sleep in their own bed.”
“There was no pain – that really surprised me – no issues that would slow me down,” he said. “After lying still for a few hours after the surgery, I got out of bed and ‘ran’ around the hallways (monitored by a team member).”
“The exciting thing for patients is that most feel an immediate benefit when the aortic stenosis is relieved,” Dr. Galat said. “Instead of pushing blood through a small opening, the heart can push blood flow through a larger opening. The ultimate benefit for Mr. Harvey is that his risk for sudden death definitely decreased.”
Harvey’s wife, Toni, concurs that her husband experienced an immediate improvement. “His color looks so much better since the valve replacement, and he seems to have more stamina. It’s a big improvement,” she said.
“I think the best thing for people with heart problems is to spend the time to get with a qualified doctor and really go through the testing procedures to find out where you actually are,” Chuck said. “Talking with the doctors and all the testing reassured me that I needed to do this (TAVR). It’s important if I want to increase my lifespan significantly with quality.”
For more information about aortic stenosis and the TAVR procedure, please call 941-486-6790.
Cynthia Beth Gamble, ARNP-C, AACC, coordinates the structural heart program at Venice Regional Bayfront Health.
Chuck Harvey and his wife Toni are living the good life in Venice after Chuck’s TAVR procedure last year.
The valve used in the TAVR procedure is made from cow heart tissue.
Venice Regional’s heart team for the TAVR procedure includes doctors, nursing professionals and technicians who have received specialized training.
Front row from left: Michael Bolanos, M.D.; Jonathan Dreier, M.D.; John Galat, M.D.; Edmund Bermudez, M.D.; and Cynthia Beth Gamble, ARNP-C, AACC.
Second row: Kristin Lake, RN; Jennifer Flick, RN; Julie DeMattio, RCIS; Nicole Sheffler, RN; Jane LaCasse, CVOR; Sandy Anderson, ARNP; Catherine Cloutier, CAT; and Dawn Beardsley-Shortt, RN.
Third row: Nancy Rola, RN; Gary Starr, RCIS; Dan Tyrrell, perfusionist; Raina King, CST; Robert Lee, CST; and Kristine Miller, RN.
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