On Friday, February 21, a team of Oklahoma Heart Institute physicians, led by Drs. Kamran Muhammad, Wayne Leimbach Jr. and Paul Kempe performed the first three successful commercial Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedures in Oklahoma using the recently FDA-approved Medtronic CoreValve.
When Elaine Curtis lost her son in November of 2012, her daughter says the overwhelming grief took a tool on her mother’s health. “She just kept getting sicker and sicker,” says Karen Wright. “We were to the point we were discussing if she could live in her house.” Elaine was experiencing difficulty breathing and it appeared her health was failing.
“Then we went to see Dr. Muhammad,” recalls Karen. “He told her there was a new procedure that could be done. Mother and I were excited. We wanted to do anything we could do!”
As the doors of the elevator open on the second floor of the Bell II building, where Hillcrest Exercise and Lifestyle Programs is located, Carol Lambert carries a platter of fruit and a heart of gratitude as she encounters familiar faces. She is returning for her normal workout at 4:00 p.m. and greeted by Supervisor Chris Bousum and others, who welcome her with hugs and words of encouragement. On this day, at this time, Carol celebrates a special milestone with the people who understand it as much as she does.
How many times a day do you stop to think about your heart? Are you thankful for the 72 beats per minute, 100,000 beats a day or 38 million beats each year? Or, do you only stop to think about your heart when you notice it missed a beat? For many of us, the organ with the sole job of pumping would greatly benefit from us putting a little more thought into how our actions are impacting our heart health. Here are hidden ways you may be hurting your heart health and not realize it.
