35-year-old Tamara Fort is an ICU nurse and what many would consider the epitome of good health. She lifts weights three to four times a week and watches her nutrition closely. She isn’t someone you would consider to be at risk for heart disease. But for the past two years, she experienced shortness of breath, [...]
A swimmer, hiker, and martial artist, you’d never guess 64-year-old Trisha McLaughlin struggled with an irregular heartbeat, congestive heart failure, and has undergone a number of heart procedures. She credits the Convergent Procedure performed by CTVS cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Faraz Kerendi for helping her get back to her healthy and active life. In her mid-50s, [...]
Did you know that the leading cause of death for men in the United States is heart disease? Heart disease, or coronary artery disease, is most commonly diagnosed when the arteries that carry blood to the heart become blocked, resulting in serious conditions such as a heart attack. As June is Men’s Health Month, CTVS [...]
A sharp and sudden chest pain could be caused by any number of issues, such as a heart attack. Another possibility, although extremely rare, is an aortic dissection. Aortic dissections are estimated to occur in about 5 to 30 people per every one million in the United States each year. It is one of the [...]
May is around the corner and one of our warrior patients is an inspiring mom and someone whom we are grateful to know and have cared for. Her name is Kuan-hsien 'Milly' Lee. She is a 36-year old mother of two who was recently treated for a mitral valve prolapse by CTVS board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon [...]
Most musicians will say they want you to listen to their music. But one local and legendary blues guitarist says that you should listen to your heart. Jimmie Vaughan, 72, is an Austin-born musician (and older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan). A few months ago, that may not have seemed possible. Vaughan recently [...]
The mitral valve is a major part of the heart situated between the lungs and the left ventricle. It helps to regulate blood flow and ensure that it moves in the right direction throughout the body. If it becomes leaky (mitral valve regurgitation) or too narrow (mitral valve stenosis), it may need repair or replacement [...]
Having the flu may have saved former Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell's life last spring. Because of his severe symptoms, he had a chest X-ray so doctors could take a closer look into his lungs. That's when they discovered what's called a thoracic aortic aneurysm (or TAA). A TAA is a bulge that develops in the [...]
As Thanksgiving approaches and we reflect on what we are grateful for at CTVS, seeing our patients thrive is definitely at the top of our list. 67-year-old Freddie Martinez is one of those patients. He has been under the care of board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. William Kessler since 2011 when he underwent emergency surgery for [...]
The mitral valve is a small but very important element of the heart that helps to ensure blood is flowing in the correct direction throughout the body. If it becomes damaged or weakened, due to conditions such as regurgitation (a leaky valve) or stenosis (a narrowed valve), it may need to be replaced. Transcatheter mitral [...]
