By Christina Nelson
Daniel “Dan” Zahody, 73, has always lived an active life. For 34 years, he served around the globe as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Since retiring in 2006, he’s participated in numerous U.S. government projects, from Korea to Ukraine, while finding time in between to explore the Pacific Northwest with his wife.
But while working overseas in 2022, Zahody noticed a decline in his health.
“I was in Ukraine training with Ukrainian soldiers for the government, and I noticed my cardio was decreasing, and I just couldn’t figure out why,” he recalls.
Zahody called the military hospital and they advised him to get an electrocardiogram (ECG) to evaluate the function of his heart. A subsequent ECG pointed to the cause of his symptoms — severe aortic stenosis.
Aortic stenosis is a serious valve disease problem that occurs when the aortic valve becomes obstructed, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Over time, the obstruction limits how much blood the heart can pump. This in turn weakens the heart and leads to symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath.
In December, Zahody was referred to a cardiologist at MultiCare’s donor-supported Pulse Heart Institute. Powered by community generosity, Pulse connects community members like Zahody to advanced cardiac care and treatment close to home, with locations spanning Washington state.
A “miracle procedure”
At Pulse, Zahody’s cardiovascular care team ran several tests to determine the best care pathway, confirming transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as the proper course of action.
In 2014, Pulse became the first health care provider in the South Sound to offer TAVR, a minimally invasive procedure designed to replace a diseased aortic valve without requiring the chest to be opened. Because the procedure is less invasive, recovery time is also less than that of alternative procedures, such as open-heart surgery.
Within days of returning from a project in Japan, Zahody went in for the procedure at Pulse Heart Institute in Tacoma with cardiothoracic surgeon Kai Engstad, MD, and interventional cardiologist Kurt Kinney, MD.
For Zahody, the operation’s impact was almost immediate.
“It’s just a miracle procedure as far as I’m concerned,” Zahody says. “I had that procedure on Dec. 20. Two weeks later, I saw the wonderful interventional cardiologist Dr. Kinney, and he gave me two thumbs up as I gave him two thumbs up. The follow-up ECG was confirmation of the wonderful job that the team had done on the operation.”
Returning to the trails
Zahody and his wife at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place.
Just 10 days after the procedure, Zahody was back doing the things he loves: hiking with his wife, spending time with his family and gardening.
“I’m living life once again,” Zahody shares. “I have energy, I can embrace my family and all the family activities with our children and grandchildren.”
As Zahody reflects on his cardiac journey, he’s thankful for his compassionate care team who have always reminded him that he’s not alone — including the scheduler who answered every phone call; the nurses who prepared him for the procedure; Dr. Kinney and Dr. Engstad; and interventional cardiologist Deven Vora, MD, PhD.
He’s also grateful to the donors who work behind the scenes to help Pulse introduce new innovations and treatments, retain the best care teams and provide access to exceptional care.
“The donors are part of the team,” Zahody says. “They’re giving back life — they’re the ones that facilitate and enable the team.”
Now two months post-operation, Zahody is feeling energized as he visits Dr. Vora in Puyallup to continue increasing his cardiovascular capacity. He’s back to training five to six miles a day with his wife, preparing to complete the Wonderland Trail — a 93-mile hiking trail that encircles Mount Rainier.
Nothing can slow him down.
“I’m in awe of the Pulse Heart Institute surgeons, interventional cardiologists, the nurses, TAVR and the entire MultiCare team,” Zahody shares. “You have given me life. You have given me a return to all the dreams still to fulfill and experience.”
With your partnership, Pulse Heart Institute can provide exceptional care and scientific advancements to improve our community’s heart health.
For more information about Pulse Heart Institute and its programs, visit the Pulse website or call:
Inland Northwest 509-755-5500
Puget Sound Region 253-572-7320