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I Was the First TAVR Patient at Borgess

John Smeda 06/16/14
John-Smeda

I was the first patient at Borgess Medical Center to have a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) where they used a catheter instead of open-heart surgery, which I had before. The surgery was done by Dr. Vishal Gupta, a heart doctor at the Borgess Heart Institute.

About a year before the surgery I had a scary moment when I had difficulty breathing and broke out in a heavy sweat. The doctor said I had a heart rate of 28.

They did an ultrasound and decided that I needed a new valve. They told me that if the new valve was too small it may leak and if was too big it could rupture and I could die. The planning they do is very painstaking and meticulous.

I had the new treatment on a Monday and on Thursday morning before noon I was released. There have been no problems. My first open-heart surgery was harder on my body than this was.

Now I lift weights, I ride the stationary bike and I walk 10 minutes on the treadmill several times a week. I’m slowly getting better. More pep.

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At Borgess, wellness and healing is our calling. Living Well is just one of the many ways we are committed to that calling, and to those we feel proud and privileged to serve every day. Borgess isn’t simply the place people come when they are sick or injured—it’s the place where lives connect through a combination of compassionate care, medical expertise and the shared vision for all of southwest Michigan and beyond to get well, stay well and live well.

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