Silver Cross Volunteer Back to Pushing Patients Following TAVR Surgery

As a volunteer in the Cardiac Cath Lab at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Tom Magdziasz doesn’t let the fact that he’s 75 slow him down. 

He transports patients around in wheelchairs from station to station, all the while cracking jokes to help keep up the spirits of those who have a lot on their minds. 

“I’ll feel them out a little bit to make sure it’s OK to kid around,” said Magdziasz of Frankfort. “I’m pretty good at gauging my audience.” 

But last summer, he noticed it was getting tougher to push patients around the lab, getting out of breath more easily. 

“I had an echocardiogram, and it showed I had a valve narrowing. My cardiologist thought I would be a good candidate for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), but he didn’t perform them. 

“Luckily, I knew someone who did.” 

Magdziasz would see and joke around with Francisco Yun, M.D.  an Interventional Cardiologist at Silver Cross. Dr. Yun had implanted a stent for Magdziasz three years ago, and while volunteering, he had seen a lot of TAVR patients come in and go out happy since the hospital began offering the procedure a year and a half ago. 

“We have been doing TAVR procedures here at Silver Cross for almost two years,” said Dr. Yun. “TAVR has improved quality of life and prolonged it for those who qualify for the procedure. I’ve performed them for patients in their 90s.” 

What is TAVR?

Dr. Ravi Ramana, the Medical Director of Silver Cross’s Structural Heart Program, explained the procedure: 

“TAVR is performed by inserting a catheter about the size of a pen through an artery in the leg and up into the heart. A new tissue heart valve is then implanted inside the narrowed valve, resulting in a normal functioning valve.  There’s no medication to relieve severe aortic stenosis; no WD-40 to keep that valve working. It’s either open heart surgery or TAVR.” 

“This improves the patient’s symptoms and takes the excess strain and stress off the heart muscle,” said Dr. Phil Alexander, a heart surgeon on the TAVR team. “For those who are good candidates, TAVR avoids the need for opening the patient’s chest and putting them on a heart-lung machine.” 

Dr. Yun said Magdziasz was a good candidate – in general good health and blood vessels large enough to send the catheter through. Suffering from severe aortic stenosis – meaning the valve between the lower left heart chamber and the body's main artery (aorta) is narrowed and doesn't open fully, blocking or reducing blood flow from the heart to the aorta and to the rest of the body. 

Drs. Yun, Ramana and Alexander performed the TAVR procedure on Magdziasz on August 29. 

“Tom was out of the hospital in two days, and his follow-up appointments have been great,” Dr. Yun said. “I’ll see him back in the lab now volunteering. We can’t get rid of him!” 

Magdziasz said he was back volunteering within a few weeks of the surgery. 

“Dr. Yun is great. He’s very patient and explains everything very well. The nurses were very caring and responsive to all of my needs. They are the backbone of Silver Cross hospital, and that is why patients really love coming to Silver Cross.” 

“And TAVR is amazing. If your doctor tells you you need heart valve replacement, don’t wait. It will save your life.” 

For more information about heart care at Silver Cross, visit www.silvercross.org/heart. To schedule an appointment for a $49 heart scan, call (815) 300-SCAN (7226).