A Patient’s Journey Through Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery At JHAH

Fawzia was nervous about undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) – but patients who undergo the procedure at JHAH enjoy excellent outcomes that typically exceed U.S. benchmarks.

“I felt a slight tingling sensation,” Fawzia Saleh Al-Zamil says of the moment she realized something was not right with her heart. “I assumed I was just tired or could have been exhausted.”

Fawzia, a mother of five, was previously a teacher but decided to leave work to care for her children. She says she lives a “peaceful life.”

Upon hearing of his mother’s symptoms, Fawzia’s son suggested that she see a doctor. She paid a visit to Dr. Faisal Al Qoofi, Chief of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH).

Fawzia had “a narrowing of the aortic valve, one of the more common diseases affecting the heart valves,” Dr. Al Qoofi says. “This disease leads to many symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, and sometimes dizziness.”

The aortic valve links the left ventricle, the heart’s largest pumping chamber, with the aorta, the body’s main artery. A narrowing of the aortic valve, a condition known as aortic valve stenosis, reduces or stops blood flow into the aorta. This forces the heart to work harder to pump blood around the body, which can cause it damage. If left untreated, aortic valve stenosis can cause death.

Dr. Al Qoofi told Fawzia that the best course of action for her would be to undergo Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR.

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure, which means that it involves far fewer and much smaller incisions than traditional surgery. As with most minimally invasive procedures, TAVR helps patients to recover faster, which means less pain and shorter hospital stays. For some patients unable to undergo open heart surgery, TAVR may be their only option.

But Fawzia was scared. “At first, I said, ‘I can never do the surgery,’” Fawzia recalls. “I’m a mother; I’m responsible for my children and my home. How do you expect me to let you open my heart?”

With TAVR, a small tube known as a catheter is passed through one of the patient’s blood vessels to the damaged aortic valve. A replacement valve is then passed through the catheter and fixed inside the damaged valve.

JHAH patients who undergo TAVR enjoy excellent outcomes that typically exceed U.S. benchmarks. A recent analysis found that in 2024, JHAH met or exceeded 11 of 12 benchmarks against which it was tested, with impressive performance across safety, efficacy, recovery, and follow-up indicators.

Dr. Al Qoofi says that a key advantage of TAVR is the rapid return to everyday life for the patient, with approximately 90% of patients discharged within 48 hours. Additionally, he says, the improved quality of life for patients over the age of 70 is equivalent to that given by open heart surgery.

“Because we focus on involving the patient in the decisions from the beginning in the clinic, the patient is given very detailed instructions about the surgery, so they come psychologically and mentally ready for the surgery,” he adds.

Fawzia says that Dr. Al Qoofi “never made me feel afraid” of the procedure, adding: “When I got my X-ray, he thoroughly explained it to me. I was reassured. I never felt the stress of the surgery; everything was simple and easy.

“I want to thank the medical staff, all nurses, and doctors. My doctor genuinely made the process easier for me, and I wish him nothing but the best. He really was there for me through the whole process; it felt like he was one of my children.”

Learn more about TAVR and cardiology services at JHAH.