Hello. My name is Kimberly Holst, and I'm a cardiac surgeon and structural interventionist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I have a particular interest in valvular heart disease and hold a dual appointment in the departments of cardiovascular surgery and cardiology. I fell in love with cardiac surgery a very long time ago. As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to shadow a cardiac surgeon,
actually one here at Mayo and was completely hooked on cardiac surgery from that moment moving forward. I love the operating room, the hemodynamics, the team approach, all the moving parts, seeing
patients before, during, and after surgery. And, of course, the ability to have such an impact on patients in an effort to help them feel better and live longer. Throughout my surgical training and career,
the field of interventional cardiology, specifically structural cardiology, which is the management of valvular heart disease through the use of catheters and fluoroscopy, continues to grow with continued device
development and refinement, along with application to a growing number of valvular heart disorders. With this growth, there are more options in the management of patients with valvular heart disease,
and we continue to improve care of patients both in the operating room and in the cath lab. Cardiac surgeons and interventionalists work together as a heart team, a valve team specifically in this situation to
choose treatment pathways that provide the safest, most comprehensive care that will set patients up with a lifelong plan for managing their heart disease. For me, the opportunity to tailor a treatment plan
for a specific patient is the epitome of medicine and is why I pursued formal training in interventional structural heart disease following my cardiac surgery residency. The ability to treat valvular heart disease in
both the operating room and the cath lab makes me a better physician, a better member of the heart team, and strengthens our team and our ability to improve the care we deliver to each and every patient.
Finally, it cannot go without saying how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to be part of both the cardiovascular surgery and interventional cardiology teams here at Mayo Clinic. The Patient Comes First mantra
is truly embodied by each team member, and we work together with every patient to deliver the best care possible.