Army Veteran opens his heart

Three times

In late 2010, only a year after getting out of the Army, Iraq War Veteran Keith McCarter knew something was wrong.

“I started to feel super weak and not eating,” he recalled. “Come to find out, I was in end-stage heart failure.” 

He was just 25-years old. 

Since he was too weak for a heart transplant, McCarter’s first surgery to install a mechanical heart pump—known as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD)—designed to provide long-term circulatory support. 

For three years, McCarter lived with the LVAD as well as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) that used electric shocks to regulate his heart. Due to physical restrictions of his condition, he couldn’t exercise and needed gastric sleeve surgery to control his weight, which involved removing a large portion of his stomach.

“I was the first person with the LVAD to have the gastric sleeve done at UW [University of Wisconsin] Health (a local partner health care system),” he noted. 

This surgery helped him lose over 100 pounds, dramatically improving his health and quality of life. 

 “I did the right thing, listened to the doctors and took my medications consistently—it worked,” he said.

His heart function improved so much that the LVAD was no longer needed, which led to McCarter’s second heart surgery to remove it in 2014. 

“Not too many people get the chance to have the LVAD explanted,” he said. “And I’ve lived without it for about 11 years, relying only on my ICD and medications. I felt like a healthy guy.”

During those 11 years, McCarter’s passion for law enforcement led him to become a Dane County sheriff’s deputy, a demanding but rewarding job he loves. However, life had another curveball planned. 

New device brings hope

By the end of 2024, symptoms of heart failure returned, resulting in multiple procedures and an extended hospitalization at Madison VA. His health care team implanted a catheter-based, miniaturized heart pump under his right collarbone, commonly known as a “baby LVAD.” This short-term support measure stabilized his condition until March 2025 when McCarter received his third heart surgery, this time for a transplant. 

“Being able to live those 10 years meant that a new device became available. That was a big turning point because we hoped the technology would improve if we could make it that far, and it did,” he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing one in every three Americans. McCarter credits his survival and recovery to the care he received, particularly from the Madison VA Hospital. 

“Dr. Murray saved my life in 2011 and has been with me ever since,” he said. “When I first met him with my mom and wife, he cleared his whole evening to talk with us. I knew I was sick, but I didn’t realize I needed a heart transplant. It shocked me.”

As he looks ahead to his future, McCarter, who is currently on medical leave, is determined to return to his law enforcement duties with the help of his VA health care team that supported him throughout his 15-year journey. 

“I love my job,” he added. “My plan is to make it back.” 

It’s never too late to apply for VA health care you’ve earned. If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who has not yet applied for their VA health care benefits, learn how to get started.

This article was originally published on the VA Madison Health care System site and has been edited for style and clarity.