New heart procedure brings quality cardiac care closer to home – The Spectrum

Lisa Larson | Live Well

Its been a long time since Ernie Hoffman, an 86-year-old Mesquite, Nevada resident, could climb a flight of stairs without pausing midway to catch his breath; or even eat a regular meal without getting winded.

Now, thanks to a mitral valve clip procedure performed at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, hes getting his energy and his life, back.

In the past, the solution to a leaking heart valve like Hoffmans was one of several less preferable choices: open heart surgery, medication to offer a temporary solution, or traveling to another area for a mitral valve clip procedure.

But thanks to the vision and dedication of professionals like Blake Gardner, MD, director of the Structural Heart Program at Intermountain St. George Hospital, and his team, patients who are eligible for this kind of heart valve repair can stay a little closer to home.

I think its fantastic, Dr. Gardner said. A lot of times people who have this issue are not good candidates for open heart surgery. We have such an amazing administration, staff, and physicians, who are very forward-thinking and have been able to bring these types of technologies to this area, which is a great boon.

Rather than opening the patients chest to reach the damaged heart valve, this procedure involves accessing the heart through a catheter placed in a vein in the groin area. When using a special tool to expertly position the tiny clip, Dr. Gardner said the physician is able to grasp the two mitral valve leaflets, clip them and tighten them, thus reducing the reflux or backflow in the valve.

Hoffman was the first patient to receive this treatment at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital.

When blood is going the wrong direction in your heart, the first thing to suffer is your lungs, Dr. Gardner said. If it gets to the point that it is really severe you extrude a lot of fluid in your lungs, which puts you into a form of heart failure.

In that situation, Dr. Gardner said there is only so much that can be done to contain the amount of fluid in a persons system.

At the end of the day, if the valve is really incompetent, youre at its mercy, said Dr. Gardner.

Thats where Hoffman was, until recently. Now, he said he feels a remarkable change.

Just a week after the mitral valve clip procedure, Hoffman said his lung capacity is greatly improved and he expects it to continue.

Everyone tells me I look much better, Hoffman said. Six or seven years ago (another physician) told me the only thing that could help was open heart surgery, but at 80 years old, Ernies not doing open heart surgery. When Dr. Gardner got me I was 86. I appreciate what hes done and that hes brought it to St. George.

Dr. Gardner said there are people who would benefit from open heart surgery to fix this valve problem, but because there is a portion of the population that couldnt or shouldnt undergo such a serious surgery, the mitral valve clip procedure is a great option.

This procedure is the base of an emerging structural heart field, Dr. Gardner said. Having this procedure available in the area will hopefully create an awareness for physicians to know how to better diagnose patients with mitral valve heart issues and when to refer them for this kind of procedure.

Indications of heart valve issues include fatigue and shortness of breath with minimal exertion, Dr. Gardner said. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should make an appointment with their physician to explore the options available for treatment.

I was concerned, as most people are, particularly when youre playing with the heart, Hoffman said. But since Ive gone through it, Im saying take advantage of it. If its something that you need to do, get it done.

ThisLive Wellcolumn represents collaboration between healthcare professionals from the medical staffs of our not-for-profit Intermountain Healthcare hospitals andThe Spectrum & Daily News.

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New heart procedure brings quality cardiac care closer to home - The Spectrum