Oct 2, 2023 Reporting from Niles, MI
Getting a second wind thanks to TAVR - Lucille Evans
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Oct 2, 2023
Oct 2, 2023
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
Swelling in her legs, anemia and shortness of breath were the first signs that Lucille Evans, 91, of Benton Harbor, needed to get her heart checked. “My doctor put me through the routine,” explained Lucille. “It’s like sc
Getting a second wind thanks to TAVR - Lucille Evans
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
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Getting a second wind thanks to TAVR - Lucille Evans
Oct, 2023
Physicians: Dilip Arora, MD and Kourosh Baghelaii, MD
Swelling in her legs, anemia and shortness of breath were the first signs that Lucille Evans, 91, of Benton Harbor, needed to get her heart checked.
“My doctor put me through the routine,” explained Lucille. “It’s like school, you know…you need to get passing grades on all the tests.”
While she first thought her symptoms were caused by some of her medications, Lucille was surprised to learn that she needed an aortic valve replacement. “I didn’t talk to anybody about the surgery,” said Lucille. “I was praying to be sure this was what I wanted to do.”
A decline in her energy
Her daughter, Donna Evans, a clinical nurse supervisor at Corewell Health, noticed Lucille wasn’t doing as much cooking, cleaning and laundry as usual. She also wasn’t leaving the house much for church, antique shopping or other activities. But the doctor’s recommendation brought some additional stress for them both. “My dad had open heart surgery 20 years ago and passed away from complications,” explained Donna. “That’s why mom thought so long and hard about having anything done.”
Eager to get her energy back, Lucille decided to go ahead with the procedure. Corewell Health cardiologists Dilip Arora, MD and Kourosh Baghelaii, MD performed a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in June 2022.
“We put our faith in those surgeons,” said Donna. “And it was well worth doing the procedure. The outcome has been spectacular.”
Lucille was in the hospital for three days and said she was surprised at how good she felt when she got home. She had cardiac therapy at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph and went to the Marie Yeager Cancer Center for therapy to help with swelling in her legs.
Now busier than ever
“My mom has been going to the Berrien Springs Senior Center a couple days a week,” said Donna. “She’s excited to get into some of their classes like knitting.
“At 91, she’s living her life to the fullest. It was well worth doing the procedure. In fact, I wish they’d had this when my dad was living. He didn’t have many problems. Just a bad valve.”
About Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. Less invasive means easier and more rapid recovery time, shorter length of stay and reduced surgical complications compared with traditional open-heart surgery. The TAVR procedure has been performed at Corewell Health in Southwest Michigan for more than a decade and our team of heart specialists are experts with the technology.
For additional information, talk to your primary care provider or visit spectrumhealthlakeland.org/TAVR.