Skip to Main Content
Back
Cardiology (Heart Care) Sep 23, 2026 2 mins read

Overcoming Severe Heart Failure at 89

An 89-year-old Coldspring man’s journey after a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands Hospital.

“That’s one of the beauties of TAVR — it’s so much less invasive than open-heart surgery.”
Dr. Robert Aertker, Interventional Cardiologist at St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands Hospital.


Eighty-nine-year-old Frank Closs experienced  severe heart failure. His heart function dropped to half of what it should be. One night, he felt so weak and short of breath that he feared if he went to sleep, he might not wake up. Frank suffered from aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the valve that regulates blood flow out of the heart to the rest of the body. 

After spending two weeks in a local hospital, he was transferred by ambulance to St. Luke’s Health - The Woodlands Hospital and into the care of Interventional Cardiologist Robert Aertker, MD.

Dr. Aertker recommended a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at St. Luke’s - The Woodlands.

Lifesaving Minimally Invasive Procedure

“That’s one of the beauties of TAVR — it’s so much less invasive than open-heart surgery,” Dr. Aertker explained. “The idea of putting an 89-year-old through an open-heart procedure is a non-starter, whereas TAVR is an option even for a 90-year-old, so long as there is no other medical comorbidity.” 

Frank was in good hands - St. Luke's Health - The Woodlands Hospital is a 2026 CommonSpirit Cardiovascular Center of Excellence for TAVR, one of only six in the country. 

Six months before his admission to St. Luke’s - The Woodlands, the former Texas A&M baseball player, played golf and mowed his lawn at his home in Coldspring, Texas. Despite his age, he was a good candidate for TAVR, which uses only a small puncture in the groin to access the heart via catheter.

Frank’s heart function began to improve immediately following the hour-long procedure in May 2025.

Immediate Improvement

“It was amazing. Before the procedure, his face was so white,” Frank’s wife, Anne, recalled. “When he came back to the room, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, the color is back in your face. I can’t believe it.’  It was immediate.”

Frank spent one night in the hospital and completed six weeks of cardiac rehab. Within three months, he was back on his riding lawnmower, tending to his yard.

More than a year later, Frank continues treatment with Gary Coleman, MD, interventional cardiologist at St. Luke's - The Woodlands, to manage a longstanding irregular heartbeat due to atrial fibrillation.

Find Cardiovascular Care 

If you or a loved one need cardiac care, visit St. Luke’s Health - The Woodlands Hospital or find a doctor near you.