My mom went to the hospital to get a heart valve added by a cather. It was a simple procedure. They added a pacemaker and the wire from the pacemaker punctured her heart and they inserted a drain. A cascade of problems ensued with 2 heart stoppages over a week and kidney failure. The new valve did operate perfectly. She was put on hospice a few days ago and died at 5:00 this morning. She could have lived a few more years without the new valve. She was fine a few weeks ago just feeling faint from time to time but never passed out. She was 88 years old.