How TAVR Helped Elaine Get Back to the Life She Loves

For years, Englewood Health cardiologist Joseph Shatzkes, MD, monitored retiree Elaine Hauser’s heart health. Eventually, he became concerned about a particular part of her heart: the aortic valve, one of four valves that regulate blood flow through the heart. 

Elaine had developed aortic stenosis, or narrowing of the aortic valve. This condition forces the heart to work harder and can reduce blood flow to the body. Aortic stenosis can lead to heart failure, and Elaine was starting to show signs of it, including leg swelling and shortness of breath. She was determined to get on with life, though. 

“I would feel a little bad, but I just ignored it and told people I was doing well,” Elaine says. “I didn’t want to be sick.” 

Still, when Dr. Shatzkes recommended a type of heart test called a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, Elaine followed his advice. 

Gathering Inside Information 

Interventional cardiologist Richard Goldweit, MD, senior adviser for cardiovascular services at Englewood Health, performed the cardiac catheterization. To start, he made a small puncture in her arm. 

“We developed a bloodless puncture technique in which we advance a wire directly into the patient’s artery to minimize bleeding,” Dr. Goldweit says. “Minimizing bleeding and transfusions improves our cardiac catheterization outcomes and avoids complications.” 

Working through a blood vessel in Elaine’s arm, Dr. Goldweit sent a catheter (a thin tube) to her heart. Contrast material flowed through the tube, and X-rays allowed Dr. Goldweit to see how the material moved through Elaine’s heart. 

The procedure showed significant hardening of the right coronary artery, one of the heart’s major arteries. It also revealed severe aortic stenosis—narrowing of the artery due to the buildup of plaque (hardened deposits of fat, calcium, and blood components). Elaine needed a plan to help her heart. 

Expert Recommendations 

Teamwork is one of the hallmarks of heart care at Englewood Hospital, and it was essential for Elaine. Dr. Goldweit and his colleagues discussed the condition of her heart at the weekly meeting of the hospital’s heart team, which discusses complex heart valve cases. 

The group decided the best path for Elaine was to treat her right coronary artery first. Then, she would receive a new aortic valve in a minimally invasive procedure. 

Dr. Goldweit handled the coronary artery repair. 

“Elaine’s artery was severely diseased, but Englewood Hospital uses the latest techniques to treat these kinds of blood vessels,” Dr. Goldweit says. “We used a catheter-based treatment called intravascular lithotripsy. It uses sound waves that bounce onto the calcium in the artery and soften the plaque, like breaking up a kidney stone.” 

With the plaque broken up, Dr. Goldweit placed a stent, a mesh tube to hold the artery open. Weeks later, Elaine returned to Englewood Hospital for the valve procedure. 

TAVR to the Rescue 

Dr. Goldweit, along with interventional cardiologist Ramin Hastings, MD, and cardiothoracic surgeon Molly Schultheis, MD, performed a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This procedure implants a new valve to take over the job of the diseased one. The team made a small incision in Elaine’s groin so they could send a catheter up an artery to the heart. 

“We perform TAVR by compressing the valve to a size small enough that it fits into the blood vessels of the leg,” Dr. Schultheis says. “Then, we bring the valve up through the aorta, the body’s main artery, and place it within the original valve. Once there, the replacement valve pushes the old one aside.” 

Elaine went home the following afternoon. Now, she relishes being more active. 

“Nothing stops me from doing what I can do,” she says. “I exercise daily using a stationary bike and a walking machine. The bike is in my living room, so I just turn on the TV and go.” 

Best of all, she’s once again able to take frequent walks around the neighborhood with her beloved dog, Milo—best friends on the move, enjoying life together. 

“Englewood Health excels at transfusion-free surgery because we have a culture that believes in the bloodless program. For Elaine, we chose a minimally invasive procedure to limit bleeding, and we optimized her blood health preoperatively for the best quality of care, outcome, and survival. Most of all, we respected her wishes and beliefs,” Dr. Schultheis says. 

Two Reasons Aortic Stenosis Occurs 

Most of the time, aortic stenosis develops as a result of aging. Less commonly, however, aortic valve narrowing can occur due to: 

• Bicuspid aortic valve. This condition exists at birth. It occurs when the valve has only two flaps instead of the standard three. Having only two flaps can reduce blood flow through the valve. 
• Rheumatic fever in childhood. This condition may occur after strep throat infections and can cause inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation in the heart can cause scarring that can narrow the aortic valve. 

Published February 2026