Shirley Peters

On November 30, 2021, 77-year-old Shirley Peters came to Lakeview Hospital to have the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure performed through her neck. TAVR is most commonly done through an incision in the groin, but in Mrs. Peters’ case, her femoral artery was not the best pathway.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is a procedure performed to replace the aortic valve in patients with severe aortic stenosis. It is less invasive than open heart surgery. The doctor guides a thin, flexible tube with the new heart valve into your artery and to your heart. Once in the correct position, the new valve is deployed and pushes the diseased valve aside. The new valve begins to work immediately.

“I have always been an active person. I live by myself, go to church, and look out for my family and friends. But last year, it started to get harder and harder to do those things, and I noticed I was slowing down. I saw my cardiologist, Dr. Martha Carr, who diagnosed my condition as severe aortic stenosis and recommended surgery. It turned out that I wasn't a good candidate for open-heart surgery, so the doctors discussed the TAVR option”.

During Mrs. Peters TAVR work-up, the CT imaging showed she had a bicuspid valve (congenital anomaly) and poor femoral access for the usual route for TAVR. The surgeon and interventional cardiologist determined they would need to gain access through the carotid artery in the neck. Drs. Hamid Salam, John Breaux, and Gabriel Lasala participated in her TAVR procedure with assistance from the Cath Lab team, OR team, and ECHO team. Dr. Carr said she came through the surgery like a champ.

“I was discharged the very next day after my procedure. I'm overwhelmed with the care at Lakeview Regional; it was an amazing experience. I couldn't have asked for a better team. Today, just five weeks post-surgery, I am way ahead of where the doctors expected me to be. I can get around much better now, and the physical therapy is helping me to get back to my pre-surgery life.

I would go back to Lakeview Regional for whatever I needed. All my trust is in Lakeview.”