A New Heart Is the Latest Chapter In Rock Star's Life

International rock star, political refugee, chef, restaurateur and author Vlado Kolenic can now add heart transplant survivor to his list of incredible life experiences. 

The 72-year-old Slovak received a new heart at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, which relieved him of 30 years of irregular heartbeats that, in recent months, could have killed him.

Vlado and his band, Taktici, defected from Czechoslovakia in 1973. Since then, he has lived throughout the United States, opening a restaurant in New York and writing music in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He moved to Houston in 2023, after the pandemic.

Lifesaving Cardiac Care 

“I guess it was meant to be because if I had not been at Baylor St. Luke’s, I would be dead by now. I was very lucky. I had a cardiac arrest in January, was gone for four minutes and then again for seven minutes. Each time I was at Baylor St. Luke’s, so I was really lucky,” Vlado said.

He inherited a mutation in the LMNA gene that can affect the heart, muscles, nerves and other parts of the body. When he moved to Houston, his condition was progressively worsening. His doctor in New York referred him to Ajith P. Nair, MD, a cardiologist at Baylor St. Luke’s and associate professor of medicine-cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine.

“Mr. Kolenic underwent therapy for atrial fibrillation while he lived in New York, but the disease continued to progress, and he eventually developed advanced heart failure complicated by ventricular arrhythmias,” Dr. Nair said. “He was unable to tolerate any guideline-directed medical therapy.”

Dr. Nair convinced a reluctant Vlado to undergo a heart transplant. “I said, ‘No, I don't need it,’ but, you know, he was right,” Vlado recalled.  He received his new heart on March 5, 2026. According to Dr. Nair, Vlado’s new heart should remain stable for many years. 

Two-and-a-half months after his transplant surgery, Vlado is getting stronger every day through outpatient physical therapy and rehabilitation.  

Advancing LMNA Disease-Related Research

His daughter and son also have the LMNA gene mutation, and Vlado keeps abreast of efforts to find a cure. He asked Baylor St. Luke’s to forward samples of his tissue and blood to the Netherlands Heart Institute’s LMNA Cardiac Initiative, which is researching prevention, diagnosis and cure of the disease.

A Grateful Patient’s Thank You

Vlado used the talents that made him famous to show his gratitude to the many medical professionals who cared for him at Baylor St. Luke's. He and his partner, Giga, hosted about 30 staff at his Houston restaurant, serving them schnitzel bites, pierogi, Slovak mac and cheese and Hungarian goulash. “It was the least I could do,” Vlado said.

A highlight of the evening was when Vlado and a few of the Baylor St. Luke’s staff joined in on an impromptu performance. “I was back on stage, two months after my transplant,” Vlado said, smiling. Baylor St. Luke’s Cardiothoracic Surgeon Alexis Shafii, MD, who also performed Vlado’s transplant surgery with Dr. Nair, attended with his daughter, Gabriella, who joined in the musical fun by playing guitar. 

Looking back, Vlado expressed no uncertainty about his decision to take Dr. Nair's advice to undergo a heart transplant.

“I won the lottery the way they took care of me. Baylor St. Luke’s was the best place for me.”

Take Charge of Your Heart Health

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