A Proactive Path to Heart Health
Beverly’s TAVR Story
“Dr. Medina and Dr. Khanna are just top-notch. Absolutely phenomenal. I’m here today because of them.”
When Beverly Starling first heard she had a heart murmur back in 2008, it came as a surprise. Her doctor explained that murmurs are monitored with age, so she filed it away and moved on.
More than a decade later, in 2019, Beverly faced a new challenge: Both of her carotid arteries were blocked, one at 95% and the other at 75%. After undergoing procedures to clear the blockages, she recovered well. Her heart murmur remained in the background, monitored but not yet concerning.
That changed in early 2023, when tests showed her aortic valve was no longer closing properly. Even though Beverly still felt mostly like herself, her Lakeland Regional Health Cardiologist, Dr. Avinash Khanna, believed it was the right time to act. Along with Dr. Andres Medina, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Lakeland Regional Health, he discussed treatment options and determined Beverly was a strong candidate for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic valve.
Beverly underwent her TAVR procedure in May 2023. The procedure went smoothly, and she felt well afterward.
Her experience, she says, was surprisingly easy.
“I don’t want to lighten it up because it saved my life,” Beverly shared, “but honestly, I didn’t have any pain or side effects. Compared to my carotid surgeries, it was a non-event.”
Today, Beverly is grateful she and her doctors took a proactive approach before her symptoms became severe. She wholeheartedly recommends the procedure to others and speaks with deep appreciation for her care team.
“Dr. Medina and Dr. Khanna are just top-notch,” she said. “Absolutely phenomenal. I’m here today because of them.”
Lifesaving Care
If you have been told you have a heart murmur or aortic stenosis, talk with your cardiologist about whether TAVR may be right for you.
Lakeland Regional Health Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
