Staying Strong at Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute

Dizziness and shortness of breath sent Chevon to Memorial Hospital West for help.

Diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, Chevon was first given a LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator and then an implanted defibrillator. His condition deteriorated, though.

Chevon needed a heart transplant, but first, he needed to get stronger.

“He was really in severe heart failure,” said Ioana Dumitru, MD, medical director of adult cardiac transplant, heart failure and cardiomyopathy.

Dr. Dumitru and I-wen Wang, MD, cardiac surgeon and chief of adult heart transplant, determined that implanting a left ventricular assist device would improve Chevon’s condition and prevent him from dying while he waited for a heart transplant.

It was a week before his youngest daughter’s first birthday. The cardiac team worked with Chevon to give him time to celebrate this milestone with family and then have the surgery as quickly as possible.