100-year-old Veteran defies risk, regains rhythm at Charleston VA
By Roswell Sartwell, Public Affairs Specialist
CHARLESTON, S.C. — At 100 years old, most patients aren’t candidates for complex heart procedures, but a Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System team successfully performed a high‑risk cardiac intervention believed to be the first of its kind for a Veteran that age in the VA system.
For the Veteran, 100-year-old U.S. Navy Veteran Lee McKinnon, whose full name is McKinnon Lee Oatice, this procedure represented another chapter in a life defined by resilience and service. Oatice enlisted in the Navy at age 17 during World War II and went on to serve for three decades before retiring in 1972.
Mr. Oatice arrived at the Charleston VA with severe chest pain and signs of a heart attack. Doctors found that some of the most important arteries supplying blood to his heart were severely blocked and hardened by calcium buildup. He also had disease in multiple heart vessels and severe narrowing of his aortic valve, the heart’s main valve.
Because of his age and the complexity of his heart disease, Oatice was not considered a candidate for open-heart surgery. That left the cardiac catheterization team with a difficult challenge: find a way to open the blocked arteries safely without putting too much strain on his body.
“In simple terms, this was like performing a bypass through a small catheter instead of opening the chest,” said Dr. Valerian Fernandes, chief of cardiology at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and the Interventional Cardiologist who performed the procedure. “For a 100-year-old Veteran with such serious heart disease to go home soon after the procedure is an extraordinary result.”
Instead of open-heart surgery, the team performed the procedure through the Veteran’s wrist using a small tube, or catheter, inserted through the radial artery. They used a specialized technique called rotational atherectomy, which works like a tiny drill to carefully clear away hardened calcium inside the artery. Once the calcium was cleared, the team placed stents to help keep the left main and left anterior descending arteries open.
The left main artery is especially important because it supplies blood to a large portion of the heart. A serious blockage there can be life-threatening. In this case, the team was able to treat the Veteran’s most critical blockages without using mechanical heart support, an additional device sometimes needed during very high-risk procedures.
The successful procedure relieved the Veteran’s pain, avoided open-heart surgery and allowed him to return home soon after treatment. According to the care team, he is doing well at home without chest pain and is expected to continue evaluation for a future procedure to treat his narrowed aortic valve.
“I feel so much better since the procedure,” Oatice said. “I appreciate the doctors, nurses and everyone who took care of me. They’ve done so much for me, and I’m thankful for all they’ve done to help improve my quality of life.”
Dr. Fernandes credited the outcome to careful planning and teamwork across multiple departments, including cardiology, anesthesia, intensive care, nursing, advanced practice providers, residents, fellows and cath lab staff.
“Cases like this are rare, even in major cardiac centers,” Dr. Fernandes said. “It took careful planning, coordination and the expertise of every team in the room to save the Veteran’s life.”
The procedure involved coordination from Dr. Fernandes, Dr. Molly Silkowski, Dr. George Adly, Lisa Rodgers, Tashma Sullivan, James Misplay, Diana Vanbenschoten, Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, Christie Thompson, Sarah, Dr. Karynn Messer, Dr. William Groh, Dr. Fred Krainin, Dr. Thomas Todoran, Dr. Nicholas Amoroso, Larissa Check and Selena Anderson, among others.
Hospital leaders said the case highlights the advanced level of cardiac care available through the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System and the importance of having skilled specialty teams working together for Veterans with complex medical needs.
Scott Isaacks, director and CEO of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System, said the case reflects the standard of care Veterans should expect from one of VA’s highest-performing health care systems.
“What stands out to me is not just that this team performed an exceptionally difficult procedure, it’s that they looked at a 100-year-old Veteran with a serious heart condition and found a way forward when the easiest answer could have been no. That kind of skill, teamwork and determination is what sets this health care system apart.”
For this Veteran and his family, the outcome was simple but powerful: less pain, more time at home and another chance to keep moving forward.