Heart and Vascular team reaches procedural milestone

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Nov. 2, 2022) – The Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute’s Structural Heart Team completed its 500th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure on Oct. 25. TAVR is a minimally invasive heart procedure to replace a thickened aortic valve that can’t fully open.

The Structural Heart Team performed the first TAVR in Rapid City in 2014. This procedure was initially recommended for patients deemed too high-risk for surgery. TAVR is now approved for all patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis, regardless of surgical risk.

“It takes a team dedicated to providing the highest-quality care to patients to reach a milestone like this,” said Joseph Tuma, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, Monument Health Interventional Cardiologist. “It’s important to remember, 500 procedures means 500 patients who were treated right here, at home in the Black Hills.”

Ongoing trials are evaluating ways to expand what types of patients can benefit from a TAVR procedure. Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute was one of only 10 centers in the country selected to participate in the EXPAND TAVR II Clinical Trial, and is currently enrolling patients. 

The Monument Health Structural Heart Program continues to utilize the latest transcatheter technology. Since 2013, the team has implemented several treatments to include: left atrial appendage occlusion, balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV), transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair and transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). 

“Our entire Heart and Vascular Team continues to be leading the way in heart care,” Tuma said. “Keeping our patients close to home, with access to a world-class group of physicians and providers continues to be a driving force for our team.”

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About Monument Health

Headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., Monument Health is a community-based health care system with a mission to make a difference, every day. The system offers care in 31 medical specialties and serves 14 communities across western South Dakota and in eastern Wyoming. With over 5,000 physicians and caregivers, Monument Health is composed of 5 hospitals and 38 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.