Mary Mitchell is a woman of faith, family and a strong will. The 80-year-old
Newton mother of nine knows a lot about healthcare not only from being
her children’s caregiver, but also from caring for her father who
lived to be 107 and then caring for her husband Charles who passed away
in 2014 after 61 years of marriage.
About six months later, Mary’s own health began to decline. She was
diagnosed with cancer in her right breast and underwent a lumpectomy,
chemotherapy and radiation. The cancer then spread to her throat, lymph
nodes and uterus. While anesthetized during emergency gall bladder surgery
she was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFIB) - a quivering or irregular
heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other
complications. Medications were not successful at controlling the AFIB
and Mary recently learned that she faces more radiation and chemotherapy
because the cancer in her breast has recurred. These treatments require
her to get a port placed in her breast in the same area where a traditional
pacemaker would be implanted to regulate her heart rate. Also, the lead
wires used with traditional pacemakers would interfere with the radiation.
Fixing a Heart Problem
Given Mary’s unique conditions, Dr. Patrick Whalen, an electrophysiologist
with Catawba Valley Cardiology and director of cardiac electrophysiology
at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center elected to use a new approach. On
January 18, he implanted a Medtronic Micra Transcatheter Pacing System
in Mary’s heart during a minimally invasive procedure at Catawba
Valley Medical Center (CVMC), making her the first patient in the Hickory
area to receive the innovative device.
Dr. Whalen says, “Considered the world’s smallest pacemaker,
the Micra was attached directly into Mary’s heart through a catheter
inserted in the femoral vein located in her upper thigh and pelvic region.”
At less than one-10
th
the size of a standard pacemaker, the Micra is about the size of a large
vitamin pill. Dr. Whalen explained that, because of its positioning within
the heart, the miniaturized self-contained pacemaker won’t interfere
with Mary’s cancer treatments while addressing her AFIB by delivering
electrical pulses to pace her heart. The Micra is wireless so there are
no lead wires to interfere with radiation. The device weighs two grams,
has an estimated 12-year battery life and is cosmetically invisible after
implantation. The Micra was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in April 2016.
Although throat cancer damaged Mary’s vocal chords, her daughters
Becky Cazire and Sherry Hill make sure she still has a voice. Following
their mother’s example, they have become well-informed advocates
to ensure she receives the best care she can get. Mary lives with Becky
and both daughters tag team to provide round-the-clock care. They accompany
her to medical appointments, keep up with her medications, document details
about her procedures and provide details during doctor’s visits
to make sure all providers are aware of her symptoms and what’s
going on across the continuum of care.
Hill says, “Our mother taught us that some doctors seem to ‘write
off’ people when they reach a certain age or have a complicated
condition. We are so thankful for Dr. Whalen and the solution he offered
here at CVMC.”
For more information about
Catawba Valley Cardiology located at 3521 Graystone Place SE STE 202
Conover, NC 28613, patients may call 828.326.2354.