Nearly 3% of Americans have a diseased heart valve, according to the CDC. Each year, thousands of them undergo surgery to have it replaced with either a mechanical valve or animal tissue. In a FOX 32 special report, Corey McPherrin takes a look at another surgical option that’s rarely performed, and it’s happening at a Chicago hospital.
After years of adventure sports and working as a police officer, 56-year-old Joe Lukaszek can survive just about anything.
Those tests showed Lukaszek had aortic stenosis, meaning the aortic valve in his heart was narrowing. It needed to be replaced because his heart was not pumping out enough blood to the rest of his body. If left untreated, it can lead to sudden cardiac death.That also means he didn’t want to have his heart valve replaced with a mechanical one or with animal tissue.
"We use the patient’s own pulmonary valve, which is a living valve, use that as a replacement. We use a donor pulmonary valve to take the place of the pulmonary position," Malaisrie said. Six years over the age limit, Lukaszek was his own advocate and worked to convince Malaisrie to perform this procedure on him anyway.
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