TL/DR –
Corewell Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan offers a life-prolonging procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The procedure, performed by Doctor William Merhi, involves compressing an aortic valve down to the size of a finger and snaking it up an artery into the heart. The innovative procedure offers an alternative to open heart surgery or death for patients with severely damaged heart valves, and has recently been performed on a 94 year old patient, Bill Sikma, who is confident it will help him live into his hundreds.
Life-Extending TAVR Procedure at Corewell Health
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Corewell Health is offering a life-extending procedure known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This innovative treatment alters the grim prognosis of open-heart surgery or death for patients.
One recipient of this procedure is the nearly 95-year-old Bill Sikma, who frequently walks to his appointments with his granddaughter, Jenny Prower, a Corewell Health nurse. Bill was treated in the same department where Jenny works.
How TAVR Works
Dr. William Merhi, a seasoned TAVR practitioner, explains, “TAVR involves compressing an aortic valve down to finger size. This allows us to snake it up an artery into the heart, where we can insert the new valve.” This technique provides patients with a new aortic valve, bypassing the need for open-heart surgery.
Bill, jokingly remarking on the procedure, said, “They enjoyed punching little holes here and there.” He’s grateful for the extra years TAVR has afforded him, and believes he has many more good years left to live.
Impacts of TAVR
According to Dr. Merhi, “These patients typically didn’t have options in the past.” This is particularly true for Bill, who comes from a long-lived family – his mother lived to be 102, and his older brother also reached his hundreds. He’s confident that TAVR will help him achieve a similar age.
Jenny feels blessed to accompany her grandfather, who she says, “doesn’t look his age, doesn’t act his age,” on his health journey. She looks forward to many more years together.
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