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Heart

A softball player with heart: Kaitlynn's aortic valve replacement at age 19

Division I softball player Kaitlynn Dawson faced open heart surgery for a leaky bicuspid aortic valve. See how the less-invasive SAVR procedure by UT Southwestern's Dr. Neelan Doolabh got Kaitlynn back on the field in just three months – with a brand new heart valve.

Neelan Doolabh, M.D.

February 26, 2021

Heart

Warning signs when an artery is blocked, and how to fix it

Imagine driving through a tunnel. On Monday, you encounter a pile of rubble. There is a narrow gap, big enough to drive through. On Tuesday, you’re driving through the tunnel and find

Dharam Kumbhani, M.D.

December 3, 2020

Heart

First-of-its-kind aortic root and valve surgery saves unique patient's heart

Shelley Lynne had an aortic root aneurysm, a leaky heart valve, and no room in her life for traditional open heart surgery and a long recovery. See how a new procedure designed by UT Southwestern's Neelan Doolabh, M.D., saved Shelley's life – and livelihood.

Neelan Doolabh, M.D.

November 20, 2020

Heart

Transradial angioplasty – a handy fix for blocked coronary arteries

Transradial angioplasty is a "handy" way to fix blocked heart arteries – by way of the wrist. It's safer than the standard approach for some patients. Dharam Kumbhani, M.D., Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at UT Southwestern discusses the benefits and the procedure. Learn more.

Dharam Kumbhani, M.D.

February 26, 2020

Heart; Prevention

10 questions to test your heart-health knowledge

How much do you know about heart disease risks? Take this 5-minute quiz to find out what you know – and don't – about heart health.

Amit Khera, M.D.

February 13, 2020

Heart

LVADs no longer just a bridge, but a long-term alternative to heart transplant

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) can help patients with advanced heart failure live longer and give them a better quality of life. Dr. Alpesh Amin answers four common questions he gets from patients about LVADs.

Alpesh Amin, M.D.

February 12, 2020

Heart

TAVR is not the ‘beginning of the end’ for aortic stenosis open heart surgery

Two studies presented in March at #ACC19 are the talk of the cardiology community. Both address one question: Can low-risk patients with aortic stenosis benefit from TAVR? Dharam Kumbhani, M.D., says the data are intriguing, but the excitement is a bit premature. Learn more.

Dharam Kumbhani, M.D.

June 6, 2019

Heart

MitraClip therapy: Which patients are ‘sick enough’?

MitraClip has emerged as a treatment option for patients with mitral valve disease who are not healthy enough for valve replacement surgery. However, the device is approved for only a small patient pool – and it might be unnecessary with optimized medical therapy.

Dharam Kumbhani, M.D.

February 20, 2019

Heart

Heart valve surgery without cracking open the chest

With minimally invasive heart valve surgery, surgeons don’t “crack open the chest,” instead going between the ribs through a 2-inch incision.

Neelan Doolabh, M.D.

February 22, 2017

Heart

Unique Approach to Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Surgery

Dr. Neelan Doolabh offers a new way to think about – and do – heart valve surgery, and it’s reducing recovery times and improving outcomes.

Neelan Doolabh, M.D.

January 26, 2017

MedBlog

All Heart Valve Disorders