Stronger than before: Carol's comeback after heart surgery
Colorado native Carol Tilton loves being active outdoors. Last October, she started experiencing unexplained fatigue and shortness of breath. Once simple activities such as walking left her feeling winded and drained. She called her primary care doctor for a physical exam.
“I thought I was really out of shape or just getting older. I didn’t realize something was physically wrong,” Carol said.
Her family doctor discovered Carol had a heart murmur and referred her to a cardiologist with Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates, who determined it was caused by aortic stenosis, a narrowing in one of the valves in her heart. The specialist suggested Carol may be a candidate for a minimally invasive surgical approach to aortic valve replacement called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and referred Carol to a heart valve specialist. Carol’s son works in the medical field and helped her research specialists in the Denver area. His sources put Dr. Jeffrey Park, an interventional and structural heart cardiologist at Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates, a part of HCA HealthONE, at the top of their list.
"Carol was a great candidate for TAVR and we are thrilled with her outcome,” said Park. “She’s an otherwise healthy, active adult. After our individualized patient-centered evaluation, the heart team and I were confident it was the best option to help her get back to doing what she loves.”
Carol said Park’s extensive experience with the procedure helped put her at ease. She came with a list of questions, and he answered all of them, taking as much time as she needed to weigh the benefits of moving forward.
“It was scary. It’s a big deal because it’s your heart, but they showed me there was nothing to worry about,” she said.
Carol underwent surgery at HCA HealthONE Swedish – a part of HCA HealthONE - in early December and was discharged the next day. A rapid recovery period is one of the many benefits of TAVR over traditional open-heart valve surgery.
“Everyone made me feel comfortable and cared for. It was amazing to see how seamlessly everyone worked together. Each person knew exactly what to do, and it was so reassuring,” Carol said.
Her recovery has felt nothing short of remarkable.
"I had to be cautious with stairs at first, but I've had absolutely no issues since," she said.
A few weeks after surgery, Carol was walking and biking again with her daughter and granddaughter, activities she had struggled with for months.
"Not only can I go farther, I’m not as tired. I don’t have to take as many deep breaths as before. I used to have to stop and catch my breath because I felt like I needed more oxygen. Now I feel great,” Carol said. “I just feel like I have a new lease on life … my recovery has been excellent.”
Heart and vascular care in Denver
Our cardiologists work to keep your heart strong so you can live life in the way you want. HCA HealthONE has one of the largest, most comprehensive networks of cardiovascular services in the Denver area. These include specialized imaging, catheterization and surgery services as well as a holistic, low-risk chest pain program. Find a heart doctor.