My 89-year-old French mother-in-law moved in with us about three years ago. Because she has aortic stenosis/ congestive heart failure, the cardiologist is recommending that she have transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery (TAVR). He mentioned that they would have to use general anesthesia. She is legally blind and very hard of hearing; besides heart issues she doesn't have major health problems such as diabetes or kidney. She is a smoker though. My big concern is that MIL has moderate dementia and I fear that the procedure could make things worse on this front. As I mentioned in previous posts, she does not qualify for Medicare/Medicaid and we would have to pay for skilled nursing care if she needs it. It's not open heart, but it's still a delicate surgery with associated risks such as stroke and requiring a pacemaker. Do any of you have thoughts or experiences with surgery on elderly folks with dementia?
Plus I also agree that cardiologists, and any kind of specialists, are frequently focused exclusively on their specialty. They do not always see or process the "whole picture." I've actually found that many specialists in general are very uninformed about dementia. If your MIL has a GP, I'd definitely recommend talking with him or her, and if you haven't already, get MIL a referral to geriatric psych before you make any decisions about general anesthesia.
Does she have a different specialist who manages her dementia? A neurologist or geriatric psychiatrist? If so, I'd discuss this with them.
Cardiologists focus on fixing hearts. That is their life mission. I don't blame this doctor for recommending this "solution." But I think you need to take a broader view with a goal of maintaining quality of life and dignity for MIL. Many doctors, especially geriatricians, do have this broad view. It doesn't seem to me that this cardiologist does.
I highly recommend the book "Being Mortal" for a very insightful look at what matters most at the end of life.