Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi - (Page 6)

YU G ON Heart at Heart procedure makes retiree feel like a teenager again R oger Walls of Vardaman may be 77, but he feels like a teenager again, thanks to a new procedure performed by North Mississippi Medical Center’s Heart Institute. Walls suffered from aortic stenosis, meaning that his aortic valve—the door between the left ventricle and the heart’s main artery—was too narrow to open all the way. “My aorta was just barely opening,” he says. “I couldn’t walk to the mailbox without getting out of breath. I couldn’t even walk; I would just slide my feet.” Being so frail didn’t sit well with a man who was a high school band director for 36 years, did extensive yard work and rode a bicycle 20 miles a day. Walls had coronary artery bypass surgery several years ago and felt great until about three years ago when his heart valve began failing. In addition to shortness of breath, he suffered from headaches and severe chest pain that radiated down both arms, and to his back and ears. Patients with aortic stenosis also get dizzy and pass out easily. Aortic stenosis is a serious threat. Left untreated, the heart can grow so large that it has trouble pumping. Fluid can build up in the lungs, and the heart may begin to fail. The heartbeat can become erratic, leaving the patient at risk of suffering a heart attack. “Aortic stenosis is similar to having a kink in a water hose,” explains cardiologist Barry Bertolet, M.D. “We have to relieve that kink to keep the water— or in this case, the blood—flowing.” Heart surgery is traditionally done to repair or replace severely damaged heart valves, but unfortunately, Walls was not a candidate. Until recently, there was little hope for patients like him whose heart function is too severely compromised. New Procedures, New HoPe Walls read a magazine article about a minimally invasive procedure known as aortic balloon valvuloplasty that might help, so he researched it online and asked his doctor. “This procedure has been around for many years, but new technology and new techniques now make it a safer alternative,” says Bertolet, who began performing balloon valvuloplasty at NMMC in the summer of 2011. Before the procedure, the patient is mildly sedated in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, and a local anesthetic numbs the groin area where the catheter is inserted. The cardiologist then threads a catheter with a balloon on the tip through the femoral artery and up into the heart. Once the end of the catheter is in the aortic valve, the balloon is filled with liquid. 6 Vim & Vigor • SP R I N G 2 012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi
Opening Thoughts
Building Healthier Hearts
Young at Heart
Caring for the Little Ones
Get Real
How Far We’ve Come
Patient Survival Guide
Perfect Attendance
Jennifer Hudson, Grammy-winning recording artist
Lean on Me
Intimidated by the Gym?
What Is Your Volunteer Style?
A Prescription for Relief
Virtual Health
SPECIAL You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Get Heart Healthy!
Growing Stronger
The Doctor Will See You Now
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi

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