Patient Success Stories

Patient care that sets us apart

At Henry Ford Health System, our experienced cardiologists help people who have been turned away from other heart centers. Through advanced research, we develop innovative treatments that bring hope to our patients with any kind of structural heart disease—no matter how serious.

One of the most advanced techniques we use is transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Our medical director at the Center for Structural Heart Disease, William W. O’Neill, M.D., performed the first TAVR procedure in the United States. Along with other members of the team, co-director of the Center, and other members of the team, Dr. O’Neill developed a new way to access the aortic valve called the transcaval approach. Learn more about transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and the transcaval approach—available only at Henry Ford.

Our experts in structural heart disease work together to understand the condition and your overall health. We bring together expertise from several specialties to customize a treatment plan specifically for you. Read on to see how we helped these patients regain their best possible health through TAVR.

Marilyn Reckling

Marilyn is feeling better after cardiac robotic bypass combined with TAVR and angioplasty/stenting. “We saw an improvement right away,” said her daughter. “Since the surgery, we notice a difference in her breathing and her color. She doesn’t walk as slowly. She even speaks with less effort. My mom has done remarkably well.”

 

Carole Wesner

82-year-old Carole is back to her normal routine after her TAVR procedure. “It was wonderful to be able to have this fantastic, unbelievable procedure done by such wonderful people at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, so close to home.”

 

William Allen

William is grateful to have had this TAVR procedure close to home and thankful for his quick recovery. “Jackson is fortunate to have these highly skilled doctors, and my prize goes out to all of them. I am fully active again, and I definitely do not plan to rust out.”

 

Lillian Keavey

Lillian, a 72-year-old woman from northern Michigan, is the 1,000 patient to receive a new mitral valve with the help of a 3D model of her heart.

 

Julie Oldani

Being the 4th patient in the world to receive the BASILICA procedure, our heart team gave Julie a breath of fresh air.

 

Dennis Stora

3D printing helped identify exactly where the leak in Stora’s aortic valve was and how to best approach repairing it.

 

Andy Smith

One of the youngest TAVR patients in the U.S. needed a replacement for a worn-out mechanical valve that had been replaced with open-heart surgery years before.

 

Viola Waller

Our heart team used a new approach that they had created, the transcaval approach, to replace a failing aortic valve for this great-grandmother.