A new heart valve, a new chapter: How one 94-year-old got her breath back
When Joan Duff tells you she’s doing “pretty darn good,” you can tell she means it.
At 94, Joan recently became the first person in the Twin Cities to receive a new kind of heart valve — a tiny device called Evoque that was designed to fix a leaky valve on the right side of the heart.
“I can do a lot more now,” she said. “I don’t get down between doing things. I still get tired, but I’m doing much better than before.”
Finding answers for a leaky valve
Before the procedure, even simple tasks like cooking or cleaning left Joan short of breath. “I would have to sit down because I couldn’t breathe very well,” she said. “It was getting very bad. Something had to be done.”
Gregory Helmer, MD, a structural and interventional cardiologist with M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital, knew she needed help. Joan’s tricuspid valve — the valve that helps blood flow in the right direction through the heart — wasn’t closing properly. That caused blood to flow backward, a condition called tricuspid valve regurgitation.
“When that valve leaks, the heart has to work much harder,” Helmer explained. “Over time, that can cause swelling in the legs, liver, or abdomen and make people very tired or short of breath.”
For years, there wasn’t a safe, effective treatment for people like Joan. Open-heart surgery was the only option — and it was too risky for someone her age.
That changed when the Evoque transcatheter tricuspid valve was approved by the FDA.
A new option without open-heart surgery
In June 2025, doctors used a minimally invasive transcatheter procedure to help Joan.
Through a small incision in the leg, the care team guided a thin tube (catheter) through the veins to Joan’s heart. Using advanced imaging, they placed the new valve inside her existing one — no open surgery required.
“The Evoque valve gives new hope to patients who used to have no treatment options,” Helmer said.
Healing and hope
Joan spent about 10 days in the hospital after her procedure. Her care team monitored her closely as she recovered and adjusted to life with the new valve.
Today, she’s breathing easier and has more energy to do the things she enjoys — especially spending time with her daughter, Paula, who helped her move from Duluth to the Twin Cities a few years ago.
“I take care of my own home,” Joan said proudly. “I’m just grateful for the care I got. Everyone at Southdale Hospital was so kind and helpful.”
Her doctor couldn’t be happier with how she’s doing. “This is exactly why this technology matters,” Helmer said. “It’s about helping people live better and feel better — at any age.”
