Blog

Seminar on Atrial Fibrillation to Ablation Surgery: Charlotte’s Journey

When Charlotte Wells went to see her primary care doctor for heart-related issues, she thought she had a heart arrhythmia. But when Charlotte continued to get worse, she knew something wasn’t right. Her doctor then requested she come in for an EKG the next time her heart monitor went off. Once her doctor performed an EKG and gave Charlotte the results, she explained to her that she had sent them to Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist, Dr. David Sandler, because Charlotte didn’t have arrhythmia -  she had atrial fibrillation. 

No one in Charlotte’s family had ever had heart... Read More »

How Catheter Ablation Helped Tulsa Woman With Atrial Fibrillation   

Coneil Lafarlette has remained active and healthy throughout her life, so she was surprised when she suddenly felt like she had the flu with aches all over her body and trouble breathing. After these symptoms persisted for almost a week, she tried to take her pulse but couldn’t find it. She then asked her daughter to take her blood pressure, but her daughter was unable to as well.  She then called her doctor, Utica Park Clinic physician, Dr. Donald Cooper, and he told her to come immediately to the office to be examined. After performing an EKG, Dr. Cooper realized Coneil had atrial... Read More »

TAVR Available for Patients with Intermediate Risk 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) procedure for intermediate risk patients. This minimally invasive, life-saving procedure can now be performed on patients with aortic stenosis who are considered intermediate risk for traditional heart surgery. This is very exciting news for our team at Oklahoma Heart Institute considering the fact that this procedure was originally approved for high-risk patients only. Watch our video below to learn more from our structural heart and TAVR team as to why this recent approval is so... Read More »

New Watchman Implant Reduces the Risk of Stroke for Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Atrial fibrillation is a type of irregular heartbeat and is one of the leading risk factors for stroke. Irregular heartbeat can cause blood to collect in the left atrial appendage and potentially form a clot, which can travel to a person’s brain and cause a stroke. The left atrial appendage is the part of the heart where most blood clots that cause strokes originate in patients with atrial fibrillation. The WATCHMAN™ Device is a new technology that allows patients an alternative way to prevent strokes if they have atrial fibrillation and are unable to tolerate long-term use of blood... Read More »

Heart Disease from a Husband’s Perspective

February is Heart Month, and it gives us the opportunity to not only talk about heart health, but hear other people’s own stories. On National Wear Red Day, the Rogers County Sherriff’s Office shared a story that told the side of living with heart disease from a spouse’s perspective. It begins, “The following is a fairy tale.” Told through the lens of Major Coy Jenkins, it is a story that sheds light on the reality that heart disease can strike when you least expect it. Major Jenkins’ wife, Marti, has had six heart catheterizations, two stents and one angioplasty since the day of her heart... Read More »

Leg Pain Years after a Heart Attack

“I was just sitting here one morning and felt a little funny,” Vernon Sander, 71, recalls of a day in the spring of 2010 that didn’t begin like most. Enjoying retirement, Vernon and his wife were just a few weeks away from an anticipated trip to Europe. When he became nauseous, Vernon says a strong feeling came over him. “I told my wife, ‘I’m having a heart attack.’ Why I knew, I don’t know.”

They immediately drove to Hillcrest South, and not as you may expect a heart attack patient to arrive; Vernon walked into the hospital and told the staff he was having a heart attack. “I was... Read More »

The Moment Time Stood Still

Heart disease doesn’t have a “look.” If it did, Master Sergeant Chris Clifton, 42, certainly wouldn’t fit the description. Last October, his unit – the 219th Engineering Installation Squadron with the 138th Fighter Wing of the Tulsa Air National Guard – was scheduled to deploy to Japan. Clifton had given up his spot, so that a younger airman could gain that experience. That meant he was home to complete his upcoming annual physical training test required by the Air Force. “I was feeling good that morning,” he recalls. “No indication of anything odd that would have led me to think a heart-... Read More »

HMR Diet Voted a Best Diet in 2016

As a busy, working mother and wife, Gail Elliott found her health had taken a back seat to caring for others and juggling priorities. "I’m your average, middle aged, working mom,” she adds. “I always put my children and husband before myself. I justified my weight by all the responsibilities that I had and was always ‘waiting for the right time.’” The truth is no one was waiting to tap Gail on the shoulder to let her know now is the time. “I finally realized in May of 2015 that there will never be a ‘right time’ and that it will only get worse as time goes on. I had finally had enough and... Read More »

Influence of Diet on Heart Health Early in Life, Lasts Years

They are daily decisions, but they add up and influence our heart health years for years to come. What we eat can either be of great help or great hindrance to our cardiovascular health, according to new findings. First, a recent study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, says that the amount of fruits and vegetables we eat as young adults can help prevent heart disease as many as two decades later. Second, a small study in Kentucky suggests a poor diet can inflict early signs of heart disease in children. When it comes to heart disease, there are factors we can... Read More »

98 Percent Blockage with No Warnings Signs of a Heart Attack

“I told the guys I would be back in two hours,” 53-year-old Bill Calkins remembers telling his crew at work as he left for his annual physical in Skiatook. The project manager of a superfund site stayed up-to-date on his physicals and felt in pretty good health walking into the clinic. “If anything, I noticed I was slightly short of breath.” Going over his blood results, Bill’s primary care physician was wrapping up the appointment, when he asked, “Hey Bill, you’re in your mid-50s. When was the last time you had an EKG?” Bill thought the last time would have been when he was in the service... Read More »