[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/11\/a-valentines-day-to-remember-margos-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/11\/a-valentines-day-to-remember-margos-story\/","headline":"A Valentine\u2019s Day to Remember: Margo\u2019s Story","name":"A Valentine\u2019s Day to Remember: Margo\u2019s Story","description":"Margo Morrow and her husband, Jim, were looking forward to a quiet Friday searching for countertops for their new home in Reynoldsville, Pa. But Feb. 14, 2020 turned out to be a Valentine\u2019s Day they\u2019ll never forget. \u201cWe were shopping in Cranberry when I told Jim I just didn\u2019t feel right,\u201d says Margo, 75. \u201cI […]","datePublished":"2020-11-27","dateModified":"2023-07-13","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","name":"Heart and Vascular Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/heart-and-vascular-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VAD_BLG.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/VAD_BLG.jpg","height":327,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/11\/a-valentines-day-to-remember-margos-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Heart and Vascular Health","UPMC Stories"],"wordCount":501,"articleBody":"Margo Morrow and her husband, Jim, were looking forward to a quiet Friday searching for countertops for their new home in Reynoldsville, Pa. But Feb. 14, 2020 turned out to be a Valentine\u2019s Day they\u2019ll never forget.\u201cWe were shopping in Cranberry when I told Jim I just didn\u2019t feel right,\u201d says Margo, 75. \u201cI had tingling in my arms, and pain across my shoulders and the center of my chest.\u201dJim drove Margo to UPMC Passavant\u2014Cranberry, just minutes away, and the team coordinated her transport to UPMC Passavant\u2014McCandless, where a heart team was waiting.The heart and vascular team at UPMC Passavant\u2014McCandless ordered an echocardiogram and a heart catheterization. Those tests confirmed Margo had severe mitral valve disease.The mitral valve is located between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. It has two flaps that open and close to control the flow of blood to the heart. Untreated, it can cause complications resulting in heart enlargement, heart failure or even sudden death.Margo was referred to David M. West, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon and director of cardiac surgery at UPMC Passavant. \u201cIn Margo\u2019s case, she needed surgery within days,\u201d says Dr. West. While it\u2019s possible to do minimally invasive mitral valve surgery, he recommended Margo undergo traditional open heart surgery.\u201cOur goal was to repair, not replace, her valve,\u201d says Dr. West. \u201cIt\u2019s a technically more challenging operation but the results are more durable and present fewer risks.\u201dInitially, the Morrows were overwhelmed by the news. They had recently moved to Reynoldsville to be close to their daughter and her family. Jim is a former educator and Margo served for two decades on school boards in Solon, Oh.\u201cJim and I are retired now, but we spent our entire professional careers in the Cleveland area,\u201d says Margo. \u201cWe seriously considered going back there for my surgery.\u201d\u201cBut when a team feels right, you know it,\u201d says Jim. \u201cDr. West wanted us to understand everything that was happening so we could be confident in the care his team could provide.\u201d\u201cSuccessful mitral valve programs rely on a high performing, multidisciplinary team like we have at UPMC Passavant. It requires close collaboration with the surgeon, cardiologist, critical care doctor, nurses, anesthesiologist, and cardiac rehab therapists,\u201d says Dr. West. \u201cMargo saw how well we performed together, and I think that influenced her decision to have us do her surgery.\u201d\u201cOur final decision came down to the fact that Dr. West and the entire team were patient, calm, and good communicators,\u201d says Margo. \u201cIn fact, everything about the experience from being admitted to the day I left was exceptional.\u201dMargo underwent surgery on Feb. 21 and spent five days in the hospital. Today, she\u2019s \u201cfeeling great!\u201d\u201cWe were meant to be in Pittsburgh \u2014 I really believe that,\u201d says Margo. \u201cMy life is better for the care I received at UPMC Passavant.\u201dEditor's Note: This article was originally published on November 27, 2020, and was last reviewed on July 13, 2023."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"11","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/\/11\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A Valentine\u2019s Day to Remember: Margo\u2019s Story","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/11\/a-valentines-day-to-remember-margos-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]