Andy's Story

You are not a cancer patient. You are not a candidate for a heart procedure. You are not patient #23T987. You are so much more than that. You are a person. You are Ela Bullock. Pat Baker. Linda D'Antonio. And you have a family. Pets. Concerns and a job to get back to. At Henry Ford Health we know this. We know that we can’t effectively treat the patient without getting to know the person first. That’s why all that we do is all for you.

Andy Smith Receives New Heart Valve Without Surgery

Andy Smith is one of the youngest people in the United States to undergo a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) to replace a valve for a second time. The valve-in-valve procedure is only available through select institutions like Henry Ford Hospital.  Because of his heart, the high school soccer coach faced a life without soccer. But doctors at Henry Ford Hospital kept the Traverse City resident and Glen Lake High School Varsity Girls’ soccer coach on the field, sending him home 24 hours after implanting a new heart valve on Sept. 18, 2015.

“I feel much better than I did even yesterday, aside from a little soreness here,” says Smith, 32, pointing at the spot in his upper leg where doctors the day before had inserted a small tube to place new valve inside his heart. “Now I’m free to do what I want, and live the way I want to live.”

The Center for Structural Heart Disease at Henry Ford team specializes in minimally invasive techniques, and expertly delivers a comprehensive range of treatments. Patients come to us from all over the country because we care for the most advanced cases.

Learn more about Andy's story.