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Mitral Valve Repair or Mitral Valve Replacement

A softball player with heart: Kaitlynn's aortic valve replacement at age 19

A softball player with heart: Kaitlynn's aortic valve replacement at age 19

Division I softball player Kaitlynn Dawson faced open heart surgery for a leaky bicuspid aortic valve. See how the less-invasive SAVR procedure by UT Southwestern's Dr. Neelan Doolabh got Kaitlynn back on the field in just three months – with a brand new heart valve.

Neelan Doolabh, M.D.

February 26, 2021

First-of-its-kind aortic root and valve surgery saves unique patient's heart

First-of-its-kind aortic root and valve surgery saves unique patient's heart

Shelley Lynne had an aortic root aneurysm, a leaky heart valve, and no room in her life for traditional open heart surgery and a long recovery. See how a new procedure designed by UT Southwestern's Neelan Doolabh, M.D., saved Shelley's life – and livelihood.

Neelan Doolabh, M.D.

November 20, 2020

MitraClip therapy: Which patients are ‘sick enough’?

MitraClip therapy: Which patients are ‘sick enough’?

MitraClip has emerged as a treatment option for patients with mitral valve disease who are not healthy enough for valve replacement surgery. However, the device is approved for only a small patient pool – and it might be unnecessary with optimized medical therapy.

Dharam Kumbhani, M.D.

February 20, 2019