New medical procedure offers new lease on life for SC heart patient

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A South Carolina woman has a new lease on life after undergoing a revolutionary heart procedure.

Patricia Harkey doesn’t want to reveal her age, but it played a big role in her decision to forgo open heart surgery.

Her doctors told her she needed the surgery but her age put her at risk.

“I said no because I saw what my husband went through with open heart surgery,” she told Channel 9′s Tina Terry.

Dr. Arun Nagabandi at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill diagnosed Harkey with congestive heart failure and a condition called mitral valve regurgitation.

“I felt like I was dying, and I just couldn’t catch my breath,” she said.

Since Harkey wasn’t a good candidate for open heart surgery, Dr. Nagabandi recommended a medical device called the MitraClip.

The procedure is less invasive, and Harkey’s took about an hour. She was released after one day and is now back at work.

Harkey was the first patient to undergo the procedure at Piedmont Medical Center.

She says she’s grateful to have access to the procedure without having to drive far from home.

“I can breathe 100% better than what I did ... I’m looking forward to going Christmas shopping,” she said.

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