Oak Hill Hospital celebrates milestones with heart procedures

HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital recently celebrated two milestones in its structural heart program.

The hospital completed its 300th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) – a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a damaged aortic value without open heart surgery. The first TAVR valve implant was performed in June 2021 as part of the hospital’s expanding cardiovascular services, allowing patients to receive advanced heart valve repair close to home.

TAVR is an alternative to open heart surgery for the appropriate patient and can lead to a faster recovery with less pain and risk of complications. The majority of TAVR cases are performed with the hospital’s cardiac catheterization team working side by side with the interventional cardiologist and the surgeon to deliver the new valve. 

The 300th TAVR was performed by interventional cardiologist Adythia Mathews, MD alongside cardiothoracic surgeon Bao-Thuy Hoang, MD – both of whom noted that the patient recovered beautifully!

Hospital CEO Ken Wicker praised the team, saying, “Congratulations to the structural heart team, which includes our catheterization lab, cardiovascular operating room, echocardiogram team, anesthesia, and intensive care unit (ICU) teams, “Your dedication has supported a highly successful program that has superb outcomes.  You have not only changed the lives of patients, but also provided a minimally invasive therapy that has enabled our patients to stay close to home, their care team, family, and friends. Thank you for helping to mend 300 hearts!”

Additionally, interventional cardiologist Dr. Georges J. Joseph and the cardiac catheterization team recently performed their 100th left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) device implant. This procedure was first performed at Oak Hill Hospital in March 2023.

LAAO devices are implanted during a minimally invasive procedure and are used to reduce the risk of stroke, explained Dr. Joseph. “The basket-like device that's implanted inside the heart’s left atrium is designed to help prevent blood clots from traveling from the heart. The procedure is an alternative for patients who cannot take blood thinners long-term due to side effects of bleeding complications,” he said.

During the procedure, a device is implanted into the left atrial appendage of the heart to seal it so that any blood clots formed in that chamber may not move into the bloodstream or the brain. Physicians use a minimally invasive, highly precise approach and a catheter to guide the technology.

Oak Hill Hospital is currently the only hospital in Hernando County to offer these two procedures as well as open heart surgery, coronary artery bypass, and heart valve replacement. 

As part of Oak Hill Hospital’s comprehensive cardiovascular care, patients may undergo diagnostic heart imaging and screening, cardiac catheterization, heart procedures, heart arrhythmia treatment, heart attack care, heart valve repair and replacement, as well as cardiac postoperative care and rehabilitation – all on site at the hospital.