Heart Valve Repair Extends Life for 85-Year-Old

Before Diane Fiedler went to see James Wudel, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, she had been experiencing heart failure for two years. Her medications were no longer helping and her symptoms were becoming progressively worse.

“I couldn’t take a few steps without being short of breath and feeling like I was going to pass out,” she says.

Diane’s breathing difficulties led to frequent 9-1-1 calls for an ambulance and treatment at the local Emergency Department. “I had to do something because I don’t think I could have survived much longer,” she says.

At the age of 85, Diane did not expect to be a candidate for open heart surgery.

Evaluation uncovers leakage in two heart valves

After evaluating Diane’s condition, Dr. Wudel discovered both the tricuspid and mitral valves in her heart were leaking and needed repair. Diane had just one kidney, and it was adversely impacted by the leaky tricuspid valve and the many medications she had to take. She was also experiencing atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure and fluid retention.

“At the Cleveland Clinic Florida Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, we offer leading-edge care and an open and patient-focused approach,” Dr. Wudel says. “While surgery may offer the best option on paper, we have to make sure it’s the right thing for each individual patient and move forward in his or her best interest.”

With advances in heart valve therapy, Dr. Wudel felt confident he could safely repair both the tricuspid and mitral valves, achieve adequate function of Diane’s kidney, and provide her with an excellent recovery. “Surgery didn’t really scare me because I had already had a kidney removed,” Diane says “I told Dr. Wudel, ‘let’s do it!’”

Exceptional care leads to dramatic improvement

Post surgery, one of the things Diane recalls most is the remarkable care she received. “Initially, I experienced a lot of pain,” she says. “Dr. Wudel was by my bedside every day, sometimes several times a day, offering encouragement and telling me it was going to get better. I can’t say enough about how caring he was. He is an amazing doctor.”

Dr. Wudel was immensely pleased with Diane’s recovery and the significant improvement in her heart and kidney functions. “The tricuspid valve has a lot of influence on vital organs, like the liver and kidneys,” he says. “We are fortunate to now have therapies to address tricuspid valve regurgitation, particularly for older patients.”

Following her discharge from the hospital, Diane’s health improved dramatically.

“I feel like a completely different person,” she says. “I don’t wake up in the morning choking and worrying I might have to call the ambulance. I wake up and I can breathe. I feel like my heart is healed.”

Photos courtesy of Cleveland Clinic Florida.