About a week before Hurricane Laura hit, Liz Miller, an elementary school teacher of 39 years, had a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. While it wasn’t an ideal time for a procedure like this, the effects of the TAVR gave her the energy needed for what was ahead. Where it all began Years before the procedure, Miller’s health journey started with a heart murmur. Once found, she was seen by J. King White, MD, interventional cardiologist, who monitored her symptoms with the assumption that she would need open heart surgery at some point down the road. As time progressed, Miller began to notice feeling more fatigued and even had to back off of her regular exercising routine. Feeling the effects more and more, she knew it was time to explore her options. Another option According to the American College of Cardiology, the average age of someone who receives a TAVR is about 84. Miller was only 60 at the time, but after discussing her options with the TAVR team, she was told that it was a good alternative to open-heart surgery. Knowing the risks and recovery time of open-heart surgery, she felt like this option was a blessing. “I felt very well-prepared throughout the process,” she says. Renewed energy Miller has grown stronger since her TAVR and is now able to enjoy all the activities that she used to: spending time with her family—namely, her grandkids—exercising, walking, moving around the classroom and continuing to be the energetic teacher she’s always been for her students. “When my grandchildren used to spend a week with me in the summer, I couldn’t keep up with them,” Miller says. “But now they can’t keep up with me!” ‘Easy as ABC’ How the TAVR procedure helped three patients get back to doing what they love Liz Miller 16 Memorial Medical Milestones • Summer 2022
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