Story by Ashley Oakley
For cardiac patients Helen and Donald, their day-to-day normal involved being breathless and fatigued, where simple tasks became difficult. But all of that changed as each of them received a life-changing, minimally invasive heart procedure called Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER), where the MitraClip device is implanted through a small incision in the groin. For fixing a leaking mitral valve, MitraClip is much less invasive than conventional open-heart surgery, with minimal risk of bleeding, fewer lung complications, and a shorter hospital stay of one day, instead of a week or more.
Helen’s story
Helen was a very active senior who averaged over 7,000 steps daily, but because of her leaking mitral valve, found herself extremely fatigued. In time, she only had the energy to do about 2,000 steps a day. Dr. William Kent, a cardiac surgeon, gave Helen the incredible news that she was a good candidate for the MitraClip procedure. In fact, Helen was fortunate to be the first MitraClip patient at Foothills Medical Centre. She underwent surgery in November of 2023, and has had excellent results. “I felt better within two days of having the procedure,” Helen recalls. “I had to remind myself to take it easy since I had an operation, but I felt so well afterwards.”
“As a heart surgeon, witnessing Helen’s remarkable recovery is gratifying,” says Kent. “As our first MitraClip patient, her minimal recovery associated with this innovative procedure is impressive relative to open-heart surgery. It is incredible to see a patient return to her daily activities, like shopping, just two days after her procedure. This highlights the effectiveness of the MitraClip and reinforces our commitment to providing less invasive options that enhance the quality of life for our patients.”
Helen credits the surgery for giving her back her health and is deeply thankful for the care she received from Kent and his team. At 82 years of age, she feels better than she has in years.
Donald’s MitraClip story
Donald’s case was more severe; he was admitted to the hospital multiple times over a series of six to eight months because of complications from his mitral valve failing. He spent weeks at a time in hospital, wondering if his life was going to be cut short due to his heart. Once he learned that he would be one of the first patients to receive a MitraClip in Alberta from cardiac surgeon Dr. Corey Adams, Donald couldn’t wait to have the procedure. “It is very rewarding to be able to offer patients a full spectrum of options aimed at improving their quality of life,” says Adams.
“As soon as I woke up after the surgery, I knew I was better,” Donald recalls. “I couldn’t even talk before and, within a day or so, I was improving faster than the doctors thought I would. I felt great. I could breathe and talk normally. While I was being wheeled out of the operating room, I told them, ‘It worked!’”
Donald celebrated his 78th birthday this past January and has a completely new outlook on life.
“When you know you’re dying and then all of a sudden see a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s a second chance at life,” he affirms.
MitraClip has been shown to drastically reduce the chance of heart failure and complications,
improving overall quality of life for the patient. For both Helen and Donald, it’s been a life-saving and life-changing surgery.
The Mitral Valve Interventions Program needs your support to improve the heart valve health of more Calgarians like Helen and Donald. Donate today to contribute toward it and other groundbreaking projects.
