b'8 2021 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 ETRANSCATHETER MITRAL VALVE REPAIR PATIENTThomas GuptillTom Guptill of Concord had a leakyTom was in the Hospital for twoI met with several of the doctors heart valve, but other medicaldays afterward and noticedat Concord Hospital Cardiology conditions made it too risky toimmediate improvement. and they kept me informed attempt to repair the valve withRight from the time I got out ofthrough the whole process, traditional open-heart surgery. the Hospital, the biggest thing washe said. They kept me very So, he was very pleased when heit improved my sense of well-beingmuch involved.got a call last year from Concordand my shortness of breath,Tom also was impressed that over Hospital Cardiovascular Institutehe said.the years, specialists from multiple inviting him to undergo tests for aTom also felt more alert, and afterConcord Hospital Medical Group new, minimally invasive, procedurea few weeks of limited activity,practices who cared for him were that had just become available. began rebuilding his strength. Byable to easily review all of his The procedure, calledsummertime, he had resumedmedical records to get a complete transcatheter mitral valve repair,activities he couldnt enjoy beforepicture of his health.o ers hope for patients like Tom.the procedure, like gardening,Regardless of where I go in the Instead of major surgery, cardiacmowing and refi nishing furniture. Hospital, they can immediately specialists thread a tiny deviceHaving the procedure loweredpull up my records, he said.called MitraClip into the heartthe risk for everything else, he to repair malfunctioning mitralsaid. Now that my compromised valves and restore more normalheart function is better, I can do blood fl ow. | See story on page 6 | more, I can push myself harder My heart valve was deteriorating,than I had been able to for but it couldnt be replaced becauseseveral years.with everything else going on withTom is no stranger to Concord my health, it was too high a risk toHospitals cardiac specialists. He open my chest and replace it, Tominherited multiple cardiac and said. My doctors had discussedvascular conditions and has had MitraClip and as soon as it becameseveral major procedures at the available at Concord Hospital, theyHospital since 2004. As a former contacted me. registered nurse, Tom appreciated Tom, who is 78, received the callthe high level of care he has last fall. After testing confi rmed hereceived and being able to take was a candidate for the procedure,an active role in his healthcare Dr. Shahab Moossavi of Concorddecisions, including whether to Hospital Cardiology, implanted theundergo the MitraClip procedure.MitraClip in December 2020.'