HEART
MARTIN HEALTH SYSTEM
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Treasure Coast Medical Report
patients on the Treasure Coast. Lawnwood Regional Medical
Center started the first program, headed up by Chalasani,
who has performed 147 TAVR procedures so far. Indian
River Medical Center began offering the new technology in
February 2017. Led by Stowe, 74 TAVR surgeries have been
performed at the hospital. Martin Health System began providing
the procedure in May 2017. McIntyre has been instrumental
in developing its program and has performed more
than 150 of the procedures. Statistics regarding the outcomes
of these programs can be found by accessing a TVT registry.
AREA’S FIRST TAVR
Talk to James Wigginton of Okeechobee and you quickly
learn that he is a man with nine lives. As a World War II
veteran who served in the Marines, he bravely fought in the
battles of Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. On February 19, 1945,
he stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima and survived while over
2,000 Americans became casualties that day.
Later in life, he fell off the roof of a two-story home in Michigan
while working on a chimney. As he fell, he hit a board,
flew across the backyard and landed on his feet, unscathed.
“I’ve had a lot of close calls. The Lord looks after me, pretty
good,” he says.
When Wigginton moved to Florida after retirement, he
started remodeling homes. He does the work himself and
resells them for a profit. While working on a home at the age
of 90, he began experiencing occasional, minor chest pains.
A bit concerned, he saw Chalasani, who conducted extensive
tests on his heart. The results showed that his condition was
serious, and he needed a valve replacement.
“They were trying to figure out what they were going to do >>
Proudly owned
and operated by
the Vick family
Patient Carol Hales holds up a transcatheter heart valve.
A Moment’s Notice
HEALTH CARE
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• Serving Indian River and Surrounding Counties
Since 1974
• 24 Hours a Day / 7 Days Per Week
• Private Duty Home Health Agency / Qualified Caregivers
• We Don’t Use Independent Contractors
• Our Rates are Among the Most Reasonable in Our Area
• Our Mission is to Provide an Excellent Level of Independent
Living for Each Patient in His or Her Own Home
• As the Saying Goes, “There’s No Place Like Home.”
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