Minimally Invasive Heart Procedures at Cottage Help Frank and Cay Celebrate Life
“We wouldn’t be here if not for Cottage and Dr. Joe Aragon,”
– Frank and Cay Donohoe, Santa Barbara
Frank and Cay celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September. For the special occasion, their children wanted to recreate how their parents first met…bowling.
In the summer of 1962, General Motors (GM) transferred Frank to Santa Barbara from Kokomo, Indiana, where he was an electrical engineer for Delco Radio. Around the same time, GM also transferred Cay to Santa Barbara from Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked as a secretary for GM’s tank plant.
Cay planned to stay in Santa Barbara for six months or so, see California, and then move back to Ohio. But when she met Frank in the bowling league, things changed. They began dating soon thereafter, and the following year – 1963 – they were married at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara. “I knew right away I wanted to marry him, and he’s working out okay,” Cay said with a chuckle. Over the years, the couple welcomed four children (three were born at Cottage).
As they were enjoying retirement, in 2006 Cay began having difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with aortic stenosis, which means her heart's aortic valve had thickened and calcified, so it was not opening fully. This limits blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body and can result in chest pain, fatigue, fainting, leg swelling and shortness of breath.
Cay needed an aortic valve replacement, and at the time, the only option was open heart surgery. “I was in the hospital for a week or so before I could go home,” Cay said. “It took a while to recover.”
Fast forward to 2018, and Frank began experiencing heart issues. He was diagnosed with aortic stenosis. However, with major advancements in medical technology, by then a new device called TAVR had recently been created and approved by the FDA.
TAVR stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement and is a minimally invasive heart procedure to replace a damaged aortic valve. In the past, the only way to replace this valve was through open-heart surgery (like Cay had), but it’s different with TAVR, because the team of specialists place a collapsible aortic heart valve into the body via a catheter inserted through the leg and threaded up to the heart. This breakthrough technology means a much smaller incision and quicker recovery time.
Frank’s TAVR procedure was performed by Dr. Joseph Aragon, an interventional cardiologist with the Cottage Structural Heart Clinic – Santa Barbara.
“I made a fast recovery, and I felt wonderful,” Frank said. “It’s still working great for me.”
Earlier this year, Cay began having difficulty breathing. An evaluation at Cottage revealed that she needed a new aortic valve. “When I had my open-heart valve replacement in 2006, they said it would it last 5 to 10 years, but it lasted 17 years,” Cay said.
“Dr. Aragon said I was a good candidate for TAVR, so I wouldn’t need another open-heart surgery,” Cay said.
“The difference between my open-heart valve replacement and my TAVR was night and day,” Cay said. “I felt great immediately after receiving the TAVR, and I stayed in the hospital just one day.”
Recently, Cay was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heartbeat that put her at greater risk of stroke. In October, Dr. Aragon performed another minimally invasive procedure to implant a device called the Watchman™ that reduces the risk of stroke and eliminates the need for blood thinners.
“I returned home the same day as the procedure, and I’ve felt super ever since,” Cay said.
Frank and Cay are feeling great these days, enjoying their grandchildren and their garden.
“I’m so thankful for Cottage, the staff and Dr. Aragon,” Cay said. “Everyone was great. Every single one of them.”
Minimally Invasive Heart Treatments at Cottage Health
Options
Three Minimally Invasive Treatment Options at One Heart Center
The Cottage Heart & Vascular Center is a national leader in Interventional Cardiology. Cottage is the only hospital on California’s Central Coast that provides all three minimally invasive treatments.
- TAVR – Replaces valve for aortic stenosis
- MitraClip™ - Repairs leaky valve
- Watchman™ - Reduces stroke risk due to atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat
Benefits
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Heart Treatments
- Improved heart function
- Less pain
- Less blood loss
- Relief of symptoms
- Shorter recovery time
- Lower risk of complications
- Quicker return to daily activities
