New heart surgery is the future

AUSTIN (KXAN) - An amazing new heart procedure was performed this past week that seems the future of cardiac surgery. It was a first in Central Texas, performed at the Heart Hospital of Austin.

Replacing a faulty heart valve without going through the chest of the patient. And the patient was an 87-year-old man.

"It got so bad I could barely walk from the kitchen to the bedroom. I would huff and puff." Donald Anderson and Evelyn, his wife of 63 years, knew he was in trouble.

Doctors wanted to try a new procedure without going through his chest. Was he worried?

"Not a bit. I had confidence in the team, the Austin heart team," Anderson said.

Donald knows a little about teams. He was a star halfback for Rice in the 1940s, beating Texas twice and topping Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

Traditional open heart surgery would have been risky at Donald's age. Dr. Faraz Kerendi said,"That's a much more invasive procedure with a longer recovery time. At Donald's age he'd be a high risk for it."

So doctors attempted what may be the future of cardiac surgery, a first in Central Texas. 

They inserted a catheter in Donald's groin and ran it up to his heart. Then an artificial valve was inserted in his faulty valve to relieve the clogging.

"This technology will revolutionize cardiac surgery," said Dr. Frank Zidar. "It will decrease complications, increase quality of life, shorten hospital stays, there is tremendous potential for other patients."

As for Anderson, he said, "I feel wonderful. I'm ready to run around the track."

Anderson was able to go home three days after the surgery.

"Do you know of anybody that had an aortic valve replaced one day and could get up and walk the next?" he said with a smile. "That's what happened to me. It's wonderful."