Patient Story
Kristina Is Thriving After Receiving BMC’s First Transcarotid Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
A mother of six children and grandmother of 17, Kristina Mason was in great shape. So when her blood pressure suddenly spiked in her 70s, the diagnosis that followed was unexpected. “I was a lifelong walker with perfect blood pressure and no signs of any kind of heart trouble at all. It kind of came out of the blue. But—probably because I had six kids—nothing surprises you anymore!”
Kristina was referred by her primary care physician to cardiologist Dr. Sumon Roy at Boston Medical Center – South. Their first meeting would be the beginning of a relationship she now describes as life-changing. After a series of tests, Dr. Roy told Kristina that she had severe aortic valve disease and would need her aortic valve replaced.
A Cardiac Catheterization Reveals Unexpected Blockages
As part of the workup for a valve replacement, Kristina underwent a cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography at BMC South—expected to be a routine prerequisite procedure ahead of aortic valve replacement. Instead, it revealed two critical blockages in her arteries, one at 99 percent and another at 75 percent.
Despite the seriousness of the findings, Kristina remained calm. “Dr. Roy is the most caring and compassionate doctor,” she says. “He told me everything—what was going to happen, what could happen, and what wouldn’t happen. I like that he’s very transparent.”
Dr. Roy then listened carefully while Kristina shared that she did not want to have open-heart surgery. “Instead of saying, ‘Too bad, this is what we’re doing,’ he worked through it,” remembers her daughter, Lisa, who works in the medical field and accompanies her mother to all her appointments. “He always kept her wishes in the forefront of his mind.”
Over the next several weeks, Dr. Roy performed two technically complex stent procedures at BMC South, spaced a month apart and complicated by heavy calcification. Throughout both procedures, he checked in with Kristina—even pausing mid-procedure to ask how she wanted to proceed. “He stopped and asked me what I wanted to do,” Kristina recalls. “And I said, ‘Oh no, you’re almost all the way there. Just keep going!’”
She was awake the entire time. “I was watching it on a camera,” she laughs. “It was exciting!”
An Innovative, Minimally Invasive Procedure
After the stents were successfully placed, Dr. Roy’s attention returned to her aortic valve. He called Kristina one evening with his plan to avoid open-heart surgery. With her permission, he would perform the valve replacement at Boston Medical Center, through the carotid artery in the neck (“transcarotid”).
This innovative, minimally invasive procedure, called a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), had never been done at BMC before via the carotid artery. But Dr. Roy had the training, the team, and the confidence to do it well. He explained that the carotid artery would be the optimal approach for Kristina because the more traditional femoral artery approach was limited due to peripheral vascular disease.
Kristina wasn’t worried. Dr. Roy had always told her, “Safety first!” so she felt confident he would do everything to make sure the transcarotid TAVR went well. Her only question was whether he would be in the room during her procedure. “He looked at me and said, ‘Of course I’ll be there, and I will be the one implanting the new valve!’ He really took the time to explain everything so thoroughly: who was going to do what during the procedure, and how it would be done.”
On the day of the procedure, BMC’s vascular surgery team accessed Kristina’s carotid artery, and Dr. Roy implanted the valve. Post-procedure imaging confirmed the result. “That new valve is wide open,” Kristina says proudly. “He got it in there perfectly.”
‘I Trust You with My Life’
Today, Kristina feels strong and optimistic. She completed cardiac rehabilitation, returned to walking, and continues close follow-up care at BMC South. She has been enjoying time with her large family. “I honestly couldn’t ask for better kids. They’re all so supportive. I really got lucky.”
Kristina says she always tells Dr. Roy that he is her “lifeline” and that she trusts him with her life. “There was something special about him from the minute I met him,” Kristina reflects. “He listened to everything I said, and he never gave up on me.”
Skilled Cardiology Experts Delivering Compassionate Care
Using advanced technology in our state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Electrophysiology (EP) Clinic, BMC South Cardiology performs over 1,000 procedures each year for patients with heart failure, heart conditions, circulatory issues, and cardiovascular disease. Our angiography suite offers cutting-edge treatments for peripheral vascular disease, dialysis-related conditions, and other vascular illnesses. We also provide 24/7 emergency primary angioplasty to deliver immediate, lifesaving care for heart attack patients.
We are also the only hospital in the Brockton area—and one of just two in southeastern Massachusetts—approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to perform carotid artery angioplasty and stenting.