Advocating for Her Heart—and Her Future

On the day of her heart surgery at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Katie Edwards, 29, remembers that she and her husband, Will, were prepared to hear some difficult news.

Only weeks before, the Shawnee, Kansas, resident had been diagnosed with endocarditis, a rare but serious bacterial infection that causes inflammation in the heart. Katie received antibiotics through an IV to treat the endocarditis. But the infection, which can lead to heart damage and other life-threatening complications, left a hole in her heart’s mitral valve, the tapered cusps between the organ’s upper and lower left chambers. She needed heart surgery, and her options were either repairing the hole or replacing her mitral valve with a mechanical one.

Physicians at another hospital told Katie they could only offer her the replacement, which led her to seek care with J. Russell Davis, MD, the Surgical Co-executive Director at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute.

Because for Katie, the stakes were higher than a healthy heart.

Before being diagnosed with endocarditis, Katie had two miscarriages, and she wanted the chance to try again for a baby. If she received a valve replacement, she would need to be on blood thinners for the rest of her life, and it’s strongly recommended that people who are on blood thinners avoid becoming pregnant. If Dr. Davis could repair the hole, she wouldn’t need those medications—and she’d have another chance of carrying a healthy pregnancy to term.

Will and Katie were prepared to hear the news that Dr. Davis had to perform the valve replacement instead of the repair, and they’d accept the fact that their plans for growing their family would change.

“But in the back of our minds,” Katie says, “we were really hoping he could do a repair.”

The power of a second opinion

Katie describes her endocarditis symptoms as subtle at first. They included fevers, chills, and nerve pain that would last for short periods. However, she now believes that the infection caused a stroke she had in October 2024, as well as one of her pregnancy losses.

The effects of the infection became debilitating. “All of my friends were either pregnant or had little kids, so I’d have to cancel a lot of plans when I had fevers,” Katie says. “My sister has a 1-year-old, and I wasn’t able to hang out with them or do much.”

Her condition also caused her mental anguish. “I would think, ‘I can’t be sick. I’m fine,’” she remembers.

Will, however, could tell his wife’s condition was worsening. Blood tests finally revealed Katie had endocarditis, and when the subject turned to heart valve replacement, it was Will who encouraged Katie to seek a second opinion—and found Dr. Davis.

Dr. Davis and the team at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute provide patients with the full range of high-quality valve care, including clinics dedicated to optimizing medical management, transcatheter intervention, traditional surgical intervention, and minimally invasive surgical options.

At Saint Luke’s Hospital, Katie met with Dr. Davis, who gave her hopeful news: “He said, ‘I’d love for you to have a valve repair instead of a replacement,’” Katie remembers. If, during surgery, he determined that it wasn’t safe to repair Katie’s mitral valve, he would replace it.

“One of the strengths of Saint Luke’s is our ability to offer a full spectrum of treatment options and truly tailor care to each patient,” Dr. Davis says. “We are members—the only in the region—of the Mitral Foundation, which recognizes surgical programs with the highest rate of mitral repair. We have nationally recognized experts in catheter procedures for the mitral valve as well. That depth and experience allow us to help people with complex conditions who may not have many options elsewhere, and to design a plan that fits not just their diagnosis, but also their life.”

To access Katie’s mitral valve, Dr. Davis made a 1.5-inch incision on the right side of her chest. When he saw her mitral valve, he was hopeful: The infection had destroyed one whole segment of the valve’s leaflet, but the other parts didn’t look as infected.

“Once I removed the rest of the infection and finished the repair, it looked great,” Dr. Davis says. “And once Katie’s heart started beating again and we looked at it with an echocardiogram, we had our confirmation: It worked. She had a normal-functioning mitral valve again.”

Dr. Davis came to the waiting room to let Will and other members of Katie’s family know she was doing well—and that he was able to repair her valve. “They were all crying,” Katie says. “They didn’t expect that news.”

And when Katie woke up from surgery, her mind still foggy from anesthesia, to the same good news, she almost couldn’t believe it.

“It took a week or two for it to sink in: My heart is safe, and I don’t have to be on blood thinners,” she says. “Dr. Davis’ skill and confidence changed the course of my life.”

Moving forward with confidence

After recovering in the ICU, Katie completed cardiac rehabilitation at Saint Luke’s Hospital. It was physically difficult, but the kindness and patience she experienced from everyone at the hospital during her health journey made a difference.

Now back to feeling more like herself, Katie is walking her dogs often, doing Pilates five times a week, and planning a ski trip with her siblings.

“I’m able to spend more time with my family, travel, and be physically active,” she says. “Will and I love to go rock climbing, and that’s something I wouldn’t have been able to do—or it would have been more limited—had I needed the blood thinners. Being very physically active is also great for my mental health.” 

Dr. Davis adds that, “for Katie, it wasn’t just about treating her heart—it was about protecting her future. Being able to address her cardiac condition while also preserving her ability to try and conceive again is incredibly meaningful to me as a surgeon. The greatest joy I have had in life are my daughters. To want that for Katie and Will played a big part in my satisfaction with her care. We have great doctors that may have been able to help her get through a pregnancy with a mechanical valve, but it would have been much more difficult, and riskier for her and her child. Her surgery should be a lifetime fix and will allow her to just be a normal young lady and mother without any limitations.”

Katie continues to trust the experts at Mid America Heart Institute with her heart, visiting Anna Grodzinsky, MD, for her follow-up care. She’s also looking forward to starting a family.

“I’m always the person who doesn’t want to complain or be dramatic, but when it comes to your health, you can’t be too careful,” Katie says. “If I didn’t have my husband in my corner, I would not have received the great care I did at Saint Luke’s, and my life would not look like it does. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.”

About Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

Comprising nearly 100 board-certified experts in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, and critical care anesthesia, Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute offers a comprehensive range of treatment options for advanced heart failure, structural intervention, preventive cardiology, electrophysiology, and heart and vascular surgery.

Get more information about the Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute.