Nelly's Success Story
Chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath: all the signs of a heart attack. But when that was ruled out for Nelly Sanchez, doctors began looking at other reasons for her persistent symptoms.
Having been on a weight loss regimen, doctors thought perhaps she was deficient in important vitamins and minerals. “But I still felt the same, very tired with pain in my chest,” Nelly said. “I just wanted to lie down, and that's when I heard about this hospital. I came to make an appointment and that's where they found my heart problem.”
Nelly was referred to SIH Cardiothoracic Surgeon Ricardo Siller, MD, for further diagnosis and treatment. Particularly challenging on Nelly’s journey was language. With Spanish as her native tongue, clear communication, especially with appointments over the phone, had been difficult.
Fortunately, SIH provides interpretive assistance through tablets, allowing patients to communicate to their care team by digitally translating information from one language to another. This is how Nelly talked to her nurses while preparing to meet Dr. Siller.
“I felt nervous, I felt afraid, but then I met the doctor that was going to treat me and he spoke Spanish!” Nelly said. “He explained it to me quite well, I felt calmer. All my fears disappeared, because any doubt, any question, he answered it in my language, and that's when I said, ‘let's do it.’”
“In the case of Nelly, she had a condition called bicuspid aortic valve, which is just a variable that happens in people,” said Dr. Siller. “Most people have a tricuspid valve, but some of us can have a bicuspid valve. That predisposes the person to have a calcification and aortic stenosis at an earlier age.”
“To replace that aortic valve, we take the leaflets out and replace it with a bioprosthetic animal tissue valve, which basically fixes the problem,” Dr. Siller said.
Aortic valve stenosis can cause additional problems if left untreated. In trying to push blood through a smaller opening, the heart starts growing muscle to try and become stronger. However, this new muscle slowly takes over cavities in the heart and lets even less blood through.
“It's as if the solution the heart is trying to find is also causing the problem,” said Dr. Siller. “With time, the heart starts to get stronger but then it starts dilating. That's when we call it heart failure, because not only is the valve too small, but the heart is losing strength and can’t push blood through the body.”
If you have any shortness of breath, chest pain or unexplainable weakness, Dr. Siller recommends patients schedule an appointment with their primary care physician. They will do further testing and refer you to a specialist if needed.
Dr. Siller is grateful that he could provide Nelly the care and reassurance she needed in Spanish.
“I feel extremely honored and proud for all the team and very thankful that she feels that way,” he said. “I'm very happy that this was able to be resolved as we expected, that she feels in good hands and that everything is going well.”
Having been on a weight loss regimen, doctors thought perhaps she was deficient in important vitamins and minerals. “But I still felt the same, very tired with pain in my chest,” Nelly said. “I just wanted to lie down, and that's when I heard about this hospital. I came to make an appointment and that's where they found my heart problem.”
Nelly was referred to SIH Cardiothoracic Surgeon Ricardo Siller, MD, for further diagnosis and treatment. Particularly challenging on Nelly’s journey was language. With Spanish as her native tongue, clear communication, especially with appointments over the phone, had been difficult.
Fortunately, SIH provides interpretive assistance through tablets, allowing patients to communicate to their care team by digitally translating information from one language to another. This is how Nelly talked to her nurses while preparing to meet Dr. Siller.
“I felt nervous, I felt afraid, but then I met the doctor that was going to treat me and he spoke Spanish!” Nelly said. “He explained it to me quite well, I felt calmer. All my fears disappeared, because any doubt, any question, he answered it in my language, and that's when I said, ‘let's do it.’”
Nelly’s Diagnosis
Dr. Siller diagnosed Nelly with severe aortic stenosis, a condition that causes the aortic valve to tighten and block blood from flowing into the heart. This condition can be common with aging or those with a family history of heart problems and causes symptoms like fatigue, chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath or dizziness.
Before entering your body, blood passes through the aortic valve. Typically, the valve has three leaflets (or flaps) that open to allow blood into the body, then close to keep that blood from moving back into the heart. These three leaflets are why the aorta is called a tricuspid valve.
“In the case of Nelly, she had a condition called bicuspid aortic valve, which is just a variable that happens in people,” said Dr. Siller. “Most people have a tricuspid valve, but some of us can have a bicuspid valve. That predisposes the person to have a calcification and aortic stenosis at an earlier age.”
“To replace that aortic valve, we take the leaflets out and replace it with a bioprosthetic animal tissue valve, which basically fixes the problem,” Dr. Siller said.
Aortic valve stenosis can cause additional problems if left untreated. In trying to push blood through a smaller opening, the heart starts growing muscle to try and become stronger. However, this new muscle slowly takes over cavities in the heart and lets even less blood through.
“It's as if the solution the heart is trying to find is also causing the problem,” said Dr. Siller. “With time, the heart starts to get stronger but then it starts dilating. That's when we call it heart failure, because not only is the valve too small, but the heart is losing strength and can’t push blood through the body.”
If you have any shortness of breath, chest pain or unexplainable weakness, Dr. Siller recommends patients schedule an appointment with their primary care physician. They will do further testing and refer you to a specialist if needed.
Now that her recovery is complete, Nelly enjoys being back to daily life.
“I couldn't climb stairs before,” Nelly said. “Now I go up and I can do my usual things of the day.”
She encourages people to be proactive about their health and seek treatment when they notice symptoms. “It was a long process, but I really recommend that all those women and men who seem to be in the same situation take care of themselves,” she said. “Because believe me, this can save your life. Those people should look for a trusted doctor who gives them that confidence and peace of mind. As in my case, the doctor who explained this to me in my language was the one who looked out for me and his entire team attended to all my needs.”Dr. Siller is grateful that he could provide Nelly the care and reassurance she needed in Spanish.
“I feel extremely honored and proud for all the team and very thankful that she feels that way,” he said. “I'm very happy that this was able to be resolved as we expected, that she feels in good hands and that everything is going well.”