TAVR procedure helps patient breathe easy

Martha Fletcher is usually on the go but noticed recently that she was falling short of breath. "When I was out walking, particularly up hills, I was finding that I would have to stop and catch my breath," said Martha.

After some investigation, her primary care doctor referred her to the heart valve team at IU Health Arnett where experts determined she was a good candidate for a procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

"Until three or four years ago this procedure was available mostly in big cities at the bigger hospitals, but these patients are everywhere," said Dr. Mohammad Hoque, an interventional cardiologist who brought the procedure to Arnett. "Our patients don't need to travel to big places and our outcomes are as good as any of those big places."