Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 4, 2019

and shortness of breath for quite a while,” explained Ted. “After discovering a heart murmur due to a bad heart valve, I was referred to Dr. Wallace. Together we decided TAVR was my best option.” Unlike open-heart surgery, which requires a several-day stay in the hospital and averages about six weeks of limited activity, patients who undergo TAVR average a two-night hospital stay and can often return to light activity within the first week after surgery. “Patients should go home feeling better and have an easier recovery following TAVR,” said Jenny Socci, structural heart coordinator for Kootenai Heart Clinics. “We’ve had patients feel well enough to go golf a week or so after surgery.” IsTAVR right foryou? Although TAVR sounds like a more convenient option for surgery, it may not be the right fit for everyone. “The decision for TAVR versus open-heart surgery is a complex one,” said Dr. Wallace. “While it is attractive for patients to opt for the more minimally invasive procedure, there are still times that a concurrent bypass surgery may be the best option. This decision is usually made with the patient’s cardiologist in addition to multiple heart surgeons and interventional cardiologists, who assess the patient’s overall risk for surgery while combining potential benefits. Currently, our cardiac team explores both options and will help patients determine the best treatment plan.” Easing theburden To help make the pre- operation and follow-up processes easier for patients coming from out of town, the Heart Clinics team does its best to “bundle” appointments. This allows patients to get all their lab work and screenings done in one trip. “The whole process was a lot easier and less complex than I expected,” Zetta Graupner, Ted’s wife, said. “Knowing how much is involved before the surgery, we expected to have to come for several visits, but we only had to travel for four appointments total. Not only were there fewer appointments, but being able to get care in Coeur d’Alene made the trip much shorter.” KH . ORG 9