When Mark Krueger needed his heart’s mitral valve repaired 24 years ago, he did his own research about options for surgery. That research led him to a surgeon in Boston who had a way to repair the valve without opening Mark’s entire chest. Fast forward to early 2020, when testing showed Mark’s repaired mitral valve […]

Dr. Thomas Molloy from Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular explains mitral insufficiency and minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery for patients. Visit Dr. Molloy’s profile here See how Dr. Molloy helped this patient with mitral insufficiency One of the most common problems we treat is mitral insufficiency. As your heart contracts, the left ventricle pumps the blood […]

Dr. Thomas Molloy explains typical aortic valve issues and minimally invasive solutions for patients.  Visit Dr. Molloy’s profile here The most common issue our patients face is aortic stenosis. Patients with aortic stenosis often don’t notice symptoms for years. When symptoms develop, the most common ones are chest pain, shortness of breath and syncope […]

Retired church administrator Ron Smith has many things that make his heart quiver: photography, woodworking, his wife of 55 years, and his four kids, 11 grandkids and one great-grandbaby. But what started making him uncomfortable was an ever-increasing number of heart palpitations that made his heart literally quiver. When that quivering became distracting, Ron checked […]

When Dr. Raymond Tricker says heart valve surgery was the most frightening thing he’d faced in his life, he means a level of anxiety most of us can’t imagine. That’s because his previous scariest experience came during World War II. Ray was just a boy when German bombers dropped V-1 bombs on his neighborhood in […]

Terry Charvet’s path from his life as a farmer in Washington’s Yakima Valley to Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular took many years, but today he’s glad he made the trip. About 15 years ago, Terry’s primary care doctor heard a murmur in Terry’s heart. They kept watching it, and a couple years later the murmur […]

Miriam Salvador has always had a big heart for her heritage and culture. A resident of the Acoma Reservation in northwestern New Mexico, Miriam spends her free time sewing, designing Indian art and making traditional clothing. As an outpouring of her love for her culture and community, she gifts these to her friends and neighbors. […]

A malfunctioning electrical system can spell disaster in a car, and in your heart. When Johnny Unser, from the Unser auto racing family, needed specialized care for atrial fibrillation he found the team at Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular. Here what he has to say about the care he received. Listen to his story in […]

The majority of Aortic valve replacements for patients referred to Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular are performed with either percutaneous (TAVR) or minimally invasive surgical technique. Elderly patients generally undergo percutaneous replacement (TAVR). Younger patients are offered the proven durability obtained with surgical excision of the failed usually calcified valve followed by replacement with either […]

After a bout of shingles and neuropathy Virginia began experiencing pain and numbness in her legs. Her right leg and foot was also cold all the time. Working with her primary care physician, they were able to diagnose Virginia with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Virginia was referred to Jed Peterson, MD, and Raman Kansal, MD, […]