b'I N N O V A T I V E T E C H N O L O G Y A N D P R O C E D U R E S | E X P E R T C A R E | W E A R E H E R E 19TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT (TAVR) PROCEDURE PATIENTDino BertoldiAt Concord Hospital, theyDr. Shahab Moossavi of ConcordThe whole process, from start call Dino Bertoldi of LaconiaHospital Cardiology, a departmentto fi nish, was pretty smooth, Baby TAVR. of Concord Hospital CardiovascularDino said.Dino was in his 50s when heInstitute, performed the TAVRAs of the summer of 2021, Dinos underwent a TAVR procedure inprocedure, replacing Dinosheart was fi ne and he was cancer-2017, while also in treatment fordefective aortic heart valve. free, but being closely monitored bladder cancer. His cardiac andA TAVR procedure typically canseveral times a year. He has taken cancer care teams determined thatbe completed in less than twoup swimming weekly as part of his even at a young age, traditionalhours, with patients feelingwellness routine.surgery for a failing heart valveimmediate relief.At Concord Hospital, cardiac and was too risky for him because theAfter the procedure, the shortnesscancer patients benefi t from procedure might have helpedof breath was gone, Dino said.coordinated team approaches, spread his cancer. TAVR typically isThat was basically the reasonin which multiple specialists performed on aging patients notthey wanted to do the TAVRtoevaluate treatment options, with well enough to withstand majorstop the shortness of breath andinput from the patient. In Dinos open-heart surgery. hopefully prevent it fromcase, the cardiac and cancer Dino remains the Hospitalsgetting worse. teams, including Dr. William Santis youngest TAVR patient, henceTAVR patients can be up andat Concord Hospital Urologic the nickname.about on the same day andInstitute, worked closely to map I had had a heart murmur sincedischarged from the Hospitalthe most appropriate treatment. I was a kid, but it never was ain two or three days. TraditionalI always felt like they had my big deal, Dino said. But afteropen-heart surgery includesbest interest at hand, Dino said. chemotherapy and radiationa much longer recovery, but itDr. Moossavi and Dr. Santis were therapy for kidney cancer, adrenalis the recommended treatmentin contact with each other about gland cancer and recurringfor younger, otherwisemy cancer and heart history. They bladder cancer, the murmuranhealthy patients.were always willing to answer indicator that his aortic valve wasDino recovered in the Hospitalany question. I never felt I wasnt not functioning properlybecamefor four days, a little longer thanlistened to. I never felt I wasnt severe. Dinos main symptom wasmost TAVR patients, so his careprovided information or access shortness of breath. team could ensure there wereto information.It got to the point where they saidno complications because of his I needed intervention, he said. Wecancer. He was back at work as had to do something about it. a respiratory therapist at Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth several weeks later.'