Holistic Approach to Bariatric Surgery Help Prepares for Heart Valve Replacement
March 15, 2021
Katrina Cox of Bedford is now a healthier and more active mother and grandmother, thanks to a whole-health approach for care at University Hospitals.
At just 39 years old, Katrina started experiencing troubling symptoms, including difficulty breathing and a lack of energy. One night, she could not catch her breath and passed out. She sought care with UH Bedford Medical Center and was diagnosed with heart failure as a result of severe mitral regurgitation stemming from rheumatic disease as an adolescent.
James Cireddu, MD began medically managing Katrina’s heart failure and valve disease during her inpatient stay and then carefully in clinic once she was discharged. Her heart failure regimen was eventually optimized but Katrina’s severe obesity exacerbated her heart condition and placed her at higher risk for surgical intervention.
Her care team at UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute medically managed her valve disease so that she was able to proceed with weight loss surgery. Two years after being diagnosed with heart failure and with stabilization of her mitral regurgitation, Katrina underwent endoscopic gastric sleeve gastrectomy with Mujjahid Abbas, MD, at UH Cleveland Medical Center. The procedure helped her lose 100 pounds, which greatly improved her overall health.
Katrina’s heart stayed stable for nearly two more years. Unfortunately, her valvular disease continued to progress, limiting her exercise capacity and restricting her activities with family and friends.
In the summer of 2020, Katrina once again required hospitalization for heart failure at UH. Following her impressive weight loss, she was at significantly lower risk of surgical complications. During an open heart surgery, Yasir Abu-Omar, MD, successfully completed mitral valve replacement with a #29 mm St. Jude Masters mechanical prosthesis. A few days following surgery, she was ecstatic to find that her shortness of breath had almost completely resolved.
The mother and grandmother was so thankful to be able to breathe, she called the valve replacement a “magic trick.”
“It means the world to me that I can pick up my grandkids and play with them and go on walks with them outside,” said Katrina. “My granddaughter told me I was a fun granny now!”
“It’s been extremely rewarding working with Katrina over the years,” Dr. Cireddu says. “We had exhausted all medical management options for her. We value our collaboration with our colleagues at UH Cleveland Medical Center who provided top notch surgical intervention with an emphasis on returning her safely to the lifestyle she enjoyed prior to debilitating valvular disease.”