St. Francis Cardiologists Use Two Innovative Procedures to Treat Patient

The winds are favorable for 68 year old Paul Nardone, an avid boater from Bayville, NY. He has recovered from aortic stenosis, after receiving an innovative cardiac surgery at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center. 

More than five years ago, Paul Nardone, 68, of Bayville, was experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath. He went to St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, where doctors discovered a failing heart valve and diagnosed him with aortic stenosis. 

Aortic stenosis is a type of heart disease in which the aortic valve does not open properly, straining the heart when pumping blood throughout the body. Over time, the heart muscle weakens, causing an overall decline in a patient’s health. Left untreated, severe aortic stenosis can become a serious, life-threatening condition that leads to heart failure and increased risk of sudden cardiac death.

In January 2020, Paul underwent his first valve replacement surgery at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, replacing his failing aortic valve with a cow valve.

Nearly five years later, Paul visited his cardiologist for a routine exam. Through a scan, Dr. Alan Goldman discovered the replacement valve had lost flexibility. Requiring immediate intervention, Paul checked in to St. Francis Hospital in February 2025.

Paul needed a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis. TAVR has fewer risks than open-heart surgery for older patients with severe medical conditions, and patients can go home just one day after the procedure.

To enable TAVR, an additional surgery was required to cut Paul’s existing heart valve leaflets. This was done using the TELLTALE device, an electrosurgical guidewire system, used for the first time in the world in 2023 by Dr. Jaffar Khan, director of cardiovascular innovation at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, and Drs. George Petrossian and Newell Robinson, co-chairs of the hospital’s structural heart program.

Sophisticated cardiac imaging guidance was utilized to facilitate the procedure, led by Dr. Lin Wang, director of interventional echocardiography, and Dr. Billal Tokhi, associate director of interventional echocardiography. 

Following the successful surgery, the TAVR procedure was performed by St. Francis Hospital’s Dr. Khan, Dr. William Chung and Dr. Matthew Henry. 

“By cutting the leaflets with the TELLTALE device and following up with the replacement of the valve via the TAVR procedure, we offered Paul a minimally invasive approach to his cardiac care,” said Dr. Khan. “This improved his recovery and allowed him to go home sooner.” 

Paul, an avid boater, looks forward to returning to the water, joining his friends in local sailboat races. He’s especially excited to take his wife out for a Valentine’s Day dinner this year after missing out in 2025 due to his surgery.

“I remain grateful to my kind and talented cardiology team at St. Francis,” said Paul. “They saved my life!”

For more information, https://www.catholichealthli.org/heart-valve-treatments