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M e t h o d i s t H e a l t h c a r e
“I tried to use it as a lighthearted way to let him know
that his condition was serious, and we needed to get help.”
BACK FROM THE DARK SIDE
Help came when Abrego’s
cardiologist recommended transcatheter aortic valve re-
placement (TAVR), a new option for older, high-risk or
he labored breathing of Star Wars
villain Darth Vader has real-life
meaning for Juan Abrego, 83, and
his daughter, Sarah.
✦
“Because
of his heart disease, Dad was so
winded that many times he could
not evenmake it to the bathroom by himself,”
explains Sarah. “I selected the sound of Darth
Vader as the ring tone for him on my cell-
phone so that I could respond quickly when
he needed me.
Heart valve replacements save lives
STRIKING
BACK AT
HEART
DISEASE
SITE OF A SUCCESSFUL PROCEDURE: While on his visit to Methodist Heart Hospital, cardiac patient Juan Abrego, as well as his wife and two daughters, (center in white
coveralls) were given the opportunity to tour the Hybrid OR in which his transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure was conducted. While they were in the
Hybrid OR, his physician, Jorge Alvarez, MD, pulled up a video of Abrego’s case on the OR’s monitors so he and his family could see his procedure being conducted. Also in
the photo are other members of the physician team and members of the hospital’s cardiovascular OR team.
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