Kate’s complex journey reaches a new chapter with a new heart

Kate Markey is an expert at beating the odds. Although only in her early-50s, Kate is successfully managing the aftermath of cardiac amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis, having survived congestive heart failure, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, a stem cell transplant and a heart transplant, all related to the condition. Her story illustrates why the coordinated, multidisciplinary care…

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Integrated palliative care support throughout patient journey

When patients face the potential need for a left ventricular assist device or heart transplantation, Inova integrates palliative care as part of our collaborative, multidisciplinary team to ensure patients’ concerns around symptoms and goals for their care are understood by the care team. At the onset of every patient’s journey with advanced heart failure, the…

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Inova Experiences Significant Growth in Heart Transplants

Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI) is now the ninth busiest heart transplant center in the U.S. Even as the program’s volume has more than doubled over the past five years, clinical outcomes remain excellent compared to national benchmarks from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Shashank Desai, MD, MBA, IHVI’s Director for Strategy and…

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Cardiogenic Shock, ECMO and a Rare Heart-Lung Transplant

Corey Saul started his 20s as a healthy young man. Little did he know, he was kicking off a tumultuous decade. By the time he turned 28, Corey had gotten a surprise genetic diagnosis, survived cardiogenic shock and received a combined heart-lung transplant. Thanks to Inova’s groundbreaking Cardiogenic Shock Team and the multidisciplinary experts at…

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After a Heart-Lung Transplant, a Mother Gets a Second Chance

Heart lung transplant survivor and family

Tandy was still in her 30s when she started experiencing shortness of breath. She was a runner, but suddenly she couldn’t run more than two minutes without having to stop. Eventually, she was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Despite medical management, her condition deteriorated rapidly. “I had stations set up in the hallway so…

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IHVI Cardiologist Co-Author of Nationally Published Study on New Test to Detect Acute Heart Transplant Rejection

stethoscope

The findings from a study of a new blood test offering a less invasive approach and earlier detection of acute heart transplant rejection were published in the March 23 issue of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. The article is based on a study co-authored by Palak Shah, MD, MS, an Inova Heart…

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Heart Failure Patients Get Transplants the Same Day, Fall in Love 5 Years Later

Taylor Givens and Collin Kobelja’

Against All Odds Inova heart transplant patients, who never met while receiving lifesaving care in adjoining hospital rooms, reconnected and found enduring love On Taylor Givens and Collin Kobelja’s first date, the couple paused their dinner for a medicine break. Both needed to take anti-rejection drugs to help sustain their transplanted hearts. “It was a…

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Two Heart Transplants, One Love Story

In 2011 — on the same day — Taylor Givens and Collin Kobelja received heart transplants at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute. A few years later, they started dating. Here’s their story. Valentine’s Day might seem like a silly holiday for some, but for Collin and I, who met at Inova after we received our…

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