Kathleen vonKoschembahr, a heart disease survivor, advocates for treatment. Kathleen said that she has always pursued prevention when it comes to her health. However, she began experiencing shortness of breath two-and-a-half years ago and had a wound that would not heal due to her diabetes. It was then that she knew she needed to pursue medical treatment.
She was advised to see a cardiologist, who told her essentially, that there was no hope. Kathleen sought a second opinion.
The second doctor told her that she should consider open heart surgery, even though there was a high risk.
Determined to receive the right care with a doctor she felt confident in, Kathleen sought out a third option and was referred to Dr. Samer Garas at Ascension St. Vincent’s in Riverside in Jacksonville. Garas was very kind and took her concerns seriously. He told her about a protected percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure with Impella, a tiny heart pump that temporarily takes over the heart’s pumping function, allowing the heart to rest and recover during high-risk PCI procedures. It is a minimally invasive procedure that can reduce complications, improve the patient’s quality of life and reduce symptoms of heart disease.
Thanks to the procedure, Kathleen has experienced “two-and-half years of pure bliss,” she said.
Kathleen recovered immediately and even went out to dinner with her family after being discharged from the hospital the following day. She has had no problems since. Thanks to Garas and his medical team, Kathleen got to see her granddaughter get married and had the chance to welcome her great-granddaughter.
She recently celebrated her 80th birthday with her family and is enjoying life again. Kathleen recently had the opportunity to fly to Boston to meet the team at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, who made the heart pump that helped save her life. She saw their love for their patients and credits Johnson & Johnson with giving her hope when she thought there was none.
“They have a heart,” she said.
Through her experience with heart disease and treatment, Kathleen said that she learned how important it is to be an advocate for your own health. She wants people suffering from heart disease to know that there are other options. There are many hospitals in the area that offer the treatment, she said.
She encourages people not to wait to seek the help they need and to go to https://www.impella.com to learn more information and talk to their doctor.
