Muncie resident receives life-saving heart procedure

Gordan Frye moved to Muncie from Washington state in 2024 to live with his grandson. Shortly after relocating, he suffered a heart attack and was transported by ambulance to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.

Since then, Frye has received care from the IU Health Ball Cardiology team, including Mohammed Madmani, MD, who recently performed a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure.

“Everyone at the hospital was really nice,” Frye says. “I received great care from everyone, and they stayed with me the entire time.”

Frye experienced his first heart attack while living in Washington. After his second heart attack, providers discovered he also had severe aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve that restricts blood flow from the heart and can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue.

Because of the condition of his lungs, Frye was not a candidate for open-heart surgery. Instead, his care team determined that TAVR would be the best treatment option.

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure used to replace a diseased aortic valve in patients who are not candidates for traditional open-heart surgery. During the procedure, a cardiology and cardiovascular surgery team places a new valve inside the diseased valve using a catheter-based approach. Compared with traditional surgery, TAVR is associated with shorter hospital stays and lower rates of rehospitalization for many patients.

Following the procedure, Frye says he felt better than he had in years.

“I’m now able to walk and stay more active,” Frye says. “Before, I couldn’t walk through the grocery store without getting tired. Now I can go on regular walks. I’m hoping to get back to fishing and other activities I used to enjoy. Dr. Madmani and his team were great. They were straightforward and told me the truth.”

Locations related to Gordan’s story:

IU Health Cardiology - Muncie | IU Health
Heart & Vascular Care | Treatment Options | IU Health