Oklahoma Heart Institute was the first in Oklahoma to use the Edwards Sapien XT valve for commercial use in a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure June 24, 2014. The team was lead by Drs. Kamran Muhammad, Paul Kempe, Wayne Leimbach, and Victor Cheng. Go inside the case to see how this valve will help more…

Vascular disease can be complex and require a collaborative approach from multiple specialists for the best outcomes. The circulatory system consists of a network of organs and vessels, which feed the rest of the body with nutrients, blood, oxygen and other gases and hormones. The vascular system alone accounts for nearly 100,000 miles of blood vessels,…

Heart disease is number one when it comes to leading causes of death for men in the United States. In 2009, more than 307,000 men died of heart disease, which adds up to 1 in 4 male deaths. Furthermore, heart disease is the number one cause of death in Oklahoma. About 9,426 people in Oklahoma…

David Hubbard, 50, pays close attention to detail. The associate-senior project manager with a local architectural firm easily recalls the month-long journey from hospitals, Emergency Departments, doctors’ offices and operating rooms that led to a tearful exchange between his wife, Pam, and Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist Dr. Kyle Zimmerman. “They hugged and cried a bit,” David…

Diet, exercise and medication therapies are the first defense against high cholesterol, especially high LDL levels, for many patients. However, some people do not respond despite best efforts. Having dangerously high cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease, blockages and stroke. Oklahoma Heart Institute now offers patients an option, which has proven to lower cholesterol…

Marcia MacLeod, WPX Energy Executive, shares her powerful story for the 2014 Tulsa Go Red for Women luncheon May 9, 2014, discussing how heart disease was an unexpected interruption to her life and career. Marcia was referred to Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. David Sandler, who diagnosed her with the most common heart arrhythmia…

In Oklahoma, we are relatively new to the game, but as our Thunder continue to move closer to The Finals, we seem to be getting the handle of the NBA. Even casual basketball fans are more than familiar with our hometown heroes Westbrook, Ibaka and KD. Without an NBA team to call our own in…

Two new studies look at transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as improving the survival rates of high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis versus traditional surgical valve replacement and compare leading FDA-approved valves available, the Edwards Sapien XT and Medtronic’s CoreValve. Director of Structural Heart Disease and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement at Oklahoma Heart Institute, Dr. Kamran…

This summer Neva Terry will celebrate her 73rd birthday in June. The following month marks her second anniversary since being diagnosed and treated for heart disease. “My only hope was to live at least a month to see my middle grandson marry,” admits Neva of being told she had severe heart block. “Now it has been two…