TAVR: ‘If you need it, get it done’
Occasionally, a fall can be a blessing in disguise.
That’s how Orange County native and surfing legend Bob “The Greek” Bolen feels after his own spill turned out to be an issue caused by his narrowing bicuspid aortic valve. The problem had originally been diagnosed at a different Orange County hospital.
Bolen put off treatment until one day, the issue could no longer be ignored.
“I had just finished golfing with a buddy, and I passed out walking back to my car,” says Bolen, a legendary surfboard maker known as “The Greek.”
“My head hit the pavement and my face looked like I had been run over by a truck,” says Bolen.
He was rushed by ambulance to UCI Health — Orange, the only Level I adult trauma center in the county.
Getting new hardware
Thankfully, Bolen didn’t have a concussion. But his loss of consciousness was likely caused by his narrowed valve, the condition he was diagnosed with several years earlier. He would need a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to fix it.
The procedure was done by Dr. Antonio Frangieh, an interventional cardiologist and internationally renowned expert in structural heart disease. It is performed by using a catheter to guide a new valve into the heart through a small incision in the leg, typically with minimal sedation.
"Repairing the valve without surgery improves quality of life and extends survival," he says. "But we need to treat patients soon after diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis because it is a progressive disease.”
By the time Bolen was treated, his symptoms were so severe, he could have died, Frangieh says.
“By the time you reach overt heart failure, you’re no longer dealing with just a tight valve: You’re dealing with a failing system. Early treatment is the best route to a good outcome and retained quality of life."
Feeling stoked
Bolen is grateful for his care from the heart team, including the cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists and others. He is back at work as a real estate broker on Main Street in Huntington Beach, where his office doubles as a surf museum. He’s also back playing golf every Thursday.
“I have a new lease on life,” he says. “I feel good, thanks to a great doctor and a great team and medical center.”
Bolen also feels fortunate to be alive to share his cautionary tale with others. He hopes it will inspire anyone else with a similar diagnosis to not delay their care.
“If you’re told you have a heart valve issue and that you need a valve replacement, get it done. You won’t regret it.”
To find out if TAVR is right for you, call 714-456-5655 or schedule online.
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