It’s not every day that your doctor calls you a textbook example. But that’s what Pastor F. Bruce Williams’ cardiologist called him. Pastor Williams is an example for other African American men. He knows that his race puts him at increased risk for various health conditions, so he takes a proactive approach to his health….
Bob Wilson was busy as could be. He was working a full-time job in management, traveling with his life partner, Lucy, and active in adult sports leagues including a travel softball team, golf and bowling. At 64 years old in 2021, he was experiencing some mild chest discomfort every so often and some tiredness, but…
At age 25, Alexis Helm had been pregnant three times, and her heart was failing. The increased blood volume from her pregnancies and strain on her heart muscle had taken a toll, as it does with many women. With her fourth pregnancy, she knew she risked damaging her heart further but wanted to do all…
DeAndr’e Gaines has lived most of his adult life with heart failure. Now at only 42 years old, the father of four is reclaiming life with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). In his late 20s, DeAndr’e was diagnosed with nonischemic cardiomyopathy, a condition that deteriorated his heart muscle. At that time in his life…
Our heart can endure so much over time. The wear and tear of elevated blood pressure, too much bad cholesterol and a busy life dealing with finances, raising children and working a full-time job all can take a toll on the muscle that keeps blood pumping through the body 24/7. Add a heartbreaking divorce to…
The 10 Louisville-area heart failure patients who received implanted mechanical pumps through Norton Heart & Vascular Institute’s launch and certification of a ventricular assist device (VAD) program share that they’re experiencing a better quality of life or are hopeful that they will. For many, the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) option offered an alternative to…
Blood pressure is a key measure of your health. You probably know it’s important, but do you know what a good blood pressure is? Do you know why it’s important? Read on for the answers to these questions and more. What is blood pressure? Two numbers make up your blood pressure reading: systolic blood pressure…
Bill Howard was loving life after retirement. In 2007, after 32 years with Ford Motor Co.’s Louisville Assembly Plant, he and his wife, Sharon, had purchased their lake home on Rough River in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. The Army veteran was enjoying fishing and helping friends with projects — keeping himself just busy enough. But in…
A minimally invasive mitral regurgitation treatment to repair the mitral valve is now available, giving a new option to patients who may not be able to tolerate conventional open heart surgery to fix the valve. Mitral valve regurgitation sometimes doesn’t need any treatment or can be treated with medication. In moderate to severe cases the…
UK HealthCare (UKHC) and Norton Heart & Vascular Institute are announcing a collaboration to expand advanced heart failure, ventricular assist device (VAD) placement and heart transplant services to Kentuckians. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Kentucky, and the commonwealth has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the country. Norton…
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute has expanded services for patients with advanced heart failure to include surgical implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs) at Norton Audubon Hospital, which recently received VAD accreditation from DNV GL – Healthcare and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In early 2020, Norton Audubon Hospital was the winner of…
Bassel Alkhalil, M.D., was a medical resident and unsure what path to take in medicine when a dramatic case changed his life. While he was training at a Baltimore hospital, an 18-year-old with heart failure and listed for a heart transplant needed to get to the hospital immediately because a donor heart had become available….
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