Nan Klayko had always been aware of her family history of heart valve disease. During a routine appointment, she had a conversation with her primary care provider about her irregular heartbeat and risk factors for aortic valve stenosis.
Aortic valve stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve. The aortic valve allows blood to flow from the ventricle (the heart's lower left chamber) into the aorta. Stenosis stops the valve from opening properly, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the valve. This causes pressure to build up in the left ventricle and thickens the heart muscle. Eventually, it can lead to heart failure.
The Path To UPMC
Nan started seeing George Jabbour, MD, a cardiologist at UPMC Altoona. From there, Dr. Jabbour referred her to Daniel Ciaburri, MD, cardiovascular surgeon at UPMC Altoona. Dr. Ciaburri recommended open heart surgery to repair her damaged valve.
The surgery was a success, but Nan’s road to recovery continued. The team implanted a pacemaker to stabilize her heart’s rhythm following the successful valve surgery.
“From the nursing staff to the surgery team, to the people who passed by my room, everyone had a smile on their face and was extremely supportive during my stay at the hospital,” says Nan. "That truly made a difference in my recovery, and I’m sincerely thankful to everyone I met along my journey."
Following the procedures, Nan was able to return home with her niece as her caregiver. The combination of UPMC home health care and daily exercise helped her through cardiac rehabilitation. Nan continued to strengthen her heart and her new valve, while carefully monitoring her heart rhythm through routine testing at UPMC.
A Successful Recovery
Following a summer of intensive cardiac rehab at UPMC Altoona, Nan was cleared to go back to doing something she loved — Zumba classes at the gym.
“The classes give me the motivation to continue with every step of my recovery journey, helping me to stay active, and ensuring that my heart stays in top shape,” says Nan.
Now that Nan is back to her regular routines, she spends her time having dinner with friends, playing pinochle, and going to the movies.
Most importantly, she can travel to her grandson’s baseball games and visit Disney with her extended family — trips she says she could never have made without her lifesaving procedure at UPMC Altoona.
Nan’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
