A Lifetime of Activity, a Heart Full of Gratitude

For Tom Mann, staying active has never been a question—it’s a way of life. A lifelong runner, he spent his 30s training for marathons until irregular heartbeats and trouble breathing signaled something was wrong. Diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common type of heart arrhythmia, he tried multiple medications with little success. In 2000, he received his first pacemaker—a moment he feared would slow him down. Instead, just three weeks later, he was rafting the Colorado River with his daughter. 

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At 83 and on his third pacemaker, Tom had been managing his heart condition with relative ease—until a new diagnosis changed everything. His cardiologist Ronnier Aviles, MD, discovered that Tom had developed mitral valve regurgitation, a condition where the heart’s mitral valve fails to close properly, allowing blood to flow backward. Left untreated, this condition could lead to serious complications, including heart failure. 

“I kept picturing major surgery,” Tom admits. “So, I tried stalling, but it kept getting worse.” 

No longer able to put it off, Tom underwent mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (m-TEER) at Overlake Medical Center in Dec. 2024. 

“m-TEER is a low-risk, minimally invasive option,” explains Dr. Aviles. “During the procedure, we thread a catheter through a vein in your leg to your heart, where we place a small clip—smaller than a dime—to help the mitral valve function properly.” 

After a successful procedure, Tom was amazed and thankful for the dedicated team that cared for him and how quickly he recovered. He was home the next day and soon resumed his daily exercise bike sessions and walks with his wife, Dani.

“We’re so happy we can continue our daily walks together,” Tom adds. The couple walks more than a mile every day, rain or shine. “We don’t take that for granted.” 

Tom and Dani, who also underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at Overlake, credit Dr. Aviles and the hospital’s structural heart program for keeping them active. 

“Finding a doctor and team you trust takes time, and we both have that now,” Tom adds. “It’s worked out great for us.” 

Living just 20 minutes from Overlake in Redmond, Tom feels grateful to have expert heart care close by. 

“I used to think 70 was old,” he says. “Now, at 83, I feel like I have a lot of life left to live.”

Innovative Heart Care at Overlake 

Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, in partnership with EvergreenHealth and Kaiser Permanente, has been a leader in minimally invasive heart procedures for over a decade. Its Structural Heart and Valve Care Program—launched in 2014 with TAVR—now offers a full range of catheter-based treatments, including m-TEER. In 2023, Overlake celebrated its 1,000th TAVR procedure, marking a significant milestone in advanced cardiovascular care. 

“Patients who are high-risk for open-heart surgery now have safer alternatives,” says Dr. Aviles. “Minimally invasive procedures like m-TEER and TAVR reduce post-operative complications and allow for a quicker recovery and a faster return to normal activities.” 

For Tom and Dani, these innovative options mean more time together, more neighborhood walks and many more years enjoying the life they love.