No Worries

That's what they say in the land down under. It's also what Garry Kennedy of Brisbane, Australia says now that he has a Toronto SPV® valve that replaced his malfunctioning aortic valve in March 2001, at age 57. "I feel great," he revealed. "I really don't know that anything was ever wrong."

Six months before his surgery, Garry experienced shortness of breath and what he describes as a pain in the neck. He confessed, “I had smoked as a young man, but hadn’t had a cigarette in 14 years—I thought I was just out of shape.” Everything was fine for a few months, but the pain returned. This time, it was more severe. At the prompting of his daughter, Garry sought medical attention. He was hospitalized for an angiography procedure that revealed a malfunctioning aortic valve. Due to a congenital defect, Garry’s native valve had two leaflets instead of the typical three.

Garry was referred to a surgeon, who recommended aortic valve replacement. Learn more about heart valve replacement. The surgeon reviewed options with Garry.  Together, they made the decision for Garry to receive a St. Jude Medical Toronto SPV valve. Garry was comfortable with the decision. With his active lifestyle (he runs, walks, or lifts weights daily), Garry was happy to receive a tissue valve that so closely mimics a healthy native valve.

Garry felt confident going in to surgery. This was due, in part, to feeling comfortable with his choice of surgeon, Allan Hilless, MD from The Wesley Hospital, located in Auchenflower, Queensland, Australia. Garry’s motto quickly became, “If it feels comfortable, go ahead with it.”

If you are faced with the prospect of valve replacement surgery, Garry encourages you to choose a surgeon that you are comfortable with because, as he puts it, “there are lots of good times on the other side of the surgery.”

The surgery and recovery were uneventful. In fact, on the way home from the hospital, Garry stopped in to work for a few hours. (Garry and his wife of 34 years, Denise, have owned a window treatment business since 1986 that services the interior design industry).  From there, Garry continued to work a little more each day, until he was back to full days (about a month).

When asked about the worst part of recovery Garry will tell you—without hesitation—that it was getting up out of bed. To do this, Garry used a rope to pull himself up from a reclining position. Other than that, recovery was quick and painless. Within a month, Garry was golfing, walking about 40 minutes a day, and incorporating some heart-healthy changes into his diet.

What got him through the surgery and recovery? “Accept and trust,” he says. “Those are two words I can think of that describe what I was thinking throughout the valve surgery experience . . . what got me through.”

Since receiving his new valve, Garry has an even greater appreciation for life. Garry’s looking forward to a long, healthy life now. He and Denise will continue to enjoy their family (now grown) and their three grandchildren. “We enjoy them very much,” he says with pride in his voice. “They’re fantastic!”

Garry recently spent time on holiday, golfing, walking, and surfing at Maroochydore (located on the sunshine coast of  Queensland, Australia, just outside of Brisbane). He’ll continue to work, keep fit, eat healthy, go in for his follow-up visits, and appreciate life, in general . . . a guy on top of the world in the land down under.

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