As a performer, Carol Pollard danced with the Sammy Davis Jr. show on the Las Vegas strip, in the Broadway musical “Funny Girl” and in a host of other big-name productions with celebrities such as Jimmy Durante, Jimmy Dean, Phil Ford and Mimi Hines.
Coming into work each evening meant putting on the glitz — with plenty of tassels, feathers, sequins and shine. Costume changes were endless.
“It took a lot of work to break into the business and a lot of work to stay in the business,” recalled Pollard, now well into her retirement, from her home in San Jose, Calif. “Sometimes, I was doing three shows a night.”
Even after becoming a mom, Pollard never quit. The professional dancer continued to teach the art she loved while raising two daughters. She remained active into her 70s, lifting weights and walking around her neighborhood “for several miles every day.”
That’s what made it such a shock when, suddenly, everything changed.
Pollard noticed a drastic difference a few years ago. She felt short of breath and unable to continue her long walks with Clive, her husband of 48 years. Even a simple task would leave her gasping.
She figured it was just age-related. One doctor thought it might be anxiety.
But the true diagnosis was something much different. And it would take an innovative treatment to get Pollard feeling like she was back on her feet again.
‘Fish Out of Water’
Over the course of several months, Pollard visited five doctors seeking a diagnosis. “I felt like a fish out of water,” she said.
It was a stressful time for the entire family. But meeting with an interventional cardiologist in nearby Mountain View, Calif., to discuss her diagnosis was life-changing — literally. The doctor explained that it was a leaky mitral valve that was causing her heart to work harder, with a risk of taking on long-term damage and a continued impact on her quality of life.
Her heart team worked together to ultimately determine she was a good candidate for our MitraClip system, which is implanted in the heart via a minimally invasive procedure to help regulate blood flow.
Our pioneering device was first developed in the late 1990s — just 20 minutes from where Pollard lives. Hearing the news, she remembered feeling both nervous and relieved. “It was really mind-boggling,” she said.
On the day of the procedure, her daughter drove her to the hospital. After they checked in, they met with the doctors to learn more. Rather than requiring open-heart surgery, the clip would be inserted through an incision in the groin and guided through blood vessels to the heart. A tiny camera would be used to show where the MitraClip was being placed. She was surprised at the innovative approach.
“Both of our jaws dropped when the anesthesiologist told us what the procedure was going to entail,” she said.
From Heart to Art
The next morning, Pollard remembered, she was able to breathe properly for the first time in what felt like forever. She even got up and danced with her daughter in the hospital. When her doctor checked in on her, she was over the moon. “The result was miraculous — that’s the only way I can explain it,” she said.
Today, Pollard is among more than 200,000 people around the world with the revolutionary device. Even as she has had to contend with other health issues, MitraClip has allowed her to continue to set ambitious activity goals and stay positive for the adventures ahead.
She has taken recent trips to Hawaii and to Chicago to spend time with her daughter and 9-year-old grandson. She also visited the facility in Menlo Park, Calif., where our MitraClip system is made and met the Abbott employees who work on the device she now has.
“It was surreal, and very emotional,” she said. “I got to thank the actual people who made the clip that is in my heart. What an opportunity!”
Meanwhile, she’s never stopped learning — or appreciating the arts.
In the last few years, Pollard has taken up drawing. To offer support, friends chimed in and asked her to sketch their animals. She also now starts her mornings by writing for at least five minutes each day, taking the advice of her doctor. Both hobbies are a way to continue a life that’s fulfilling — and fun.
And her art has taken on a life of its own. “I have four binders of horses, cats and dogs that I drew, because one person led to another person and another person,” she said. “It’s my therapy.”
And just like during her dancing career, Pollard is not giving up — always ready to work hard and find joy in whatever comes next.
This testimonial relates an account of an individual’s response to the treatment. This patient’s account is genuine, typical and documented. However, it does not provide any indication, guide, warranty or guarantee as to the response other persons may have to the treatment. Responses to the treatment discussed can and do vary and are specific to the individual patient.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
MITRACLIP DELIVERY SYSTEMS
INDICATION FOR USE
Rx Only
Important Safety Information
What is MitraClipTM Therapy approved for?
Available by prescription only.
MitraClip therapy is a minimally invasive procedure approved for treating patients with clinically significant mitral regurgitation due to either (a) a deteriorated mitral valve in patients who are deemed to be at prohibitive risk for surgery, or (b) mitral valve in patients who have heart failure and an enlarged heart who remain symptomatic on maximally tolerated medications to treat their heart failure.
Patients should work with their doctor and a multidisciplinary heart team, which should include a heart surgeon and cardiologist with experience treating heart failure, to confirm their surgical risk or optimal medications. The heart team will determine if the patient meets the indications for the MitraClip procedure.
Who should not have the MitraClip Procedure?
Patients that have any of the following conditions should not have the MitraClip Procedure: inability to tolerate or are allergic or hypersensitive to anti-coagulants, anti-platelet therapies, nickel, titanium, cobalt, chromium, polyester, or contrast dye; have inflammation or rheumatic disease of the valve; have blood clots inside the heart or blood vessels (inferior vena cava, femoral vein), or have mitral valve anatomy which is deemed not suitable for repair with Mitraclip.
What can happen to me during the MitraClip Procedure?
As with most medical procedures, MitraClip Implant placement has risks, including inappropriate device placement, device movement from its implanted site, and failed or difficult delivery or retrieval of the device once implanted. Your physician will determine if you fall within the labeled indication for the MitraClip Procedure.
Who is more at risk during the MitraClip Procedure?
Even though MitraClip Therapy is a minimally invasive medical procedure, it carries risks, and some patients may be at a higher risk than others. If you have either a weak heart that may need support during the procedure or a rotated heart from prior heart surgery, talk to your doctor to weigh the additional risks to the benefits of the MitraClip Procedure as the safety and effectiveness has not been tested in these patients.
What are the possible complications associated with the MitraClip Procedure?
The MitraClip Procedure carries risks which include, but are not limited to: Allergic reactions to the implant materials or medications used during or after the procedure; Tissue damage at the puncture (entry site such as wound reopening, reaction to the catheter, bleeding, air bubbles, tissue or nerve injury; Inflammation, buildup of fluid or blood in the sac surrounding the heart, and complications that may require more interventions or heart surgery; Mitral valve complications including device dislodgement, entanglement with chords, narrowing of the mitral valve, continuing backflow of blood through the mitral valve during heart contraction, and inflammation; Abnormal heart rhythm, stroke (resulting from blood clot or burst vessel in the brain or transient stroke, high or low blood pressure; Multiple organ failure, death, pain; Complications related to the echocardiographic imaging such as irritation or perforation of the throat.
Talk to your doctor to learn more about the risks associated with MitraClip Therapy, and ask for the detailed Important Safety Information if you'd like to review the full list of complications.
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