heart STRAIGHT Robotic Surgery Offering the LATEST in Minimally Invasive from the with Advanced Clinical Trials Vascular Care Connecting Patients

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "heart STRAIGHT Robotic Surgery Offering the LATEST in Minimally Invasive from the with Advanced Clinical Trials Vascular Care Connecting Patients"

Emily Allison
5 years ago
Views:

1 STRAIGHT from heart the W I N T E R S P R I N G PREVENTION INNOVATION TREATMENT Offering the LATEST in Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Connecting Patients with Advanced Clinical Trials Comprehensive Vascular Care

2 WINTER SPRING 2012 Standing, left to right: C. Randolph Hubbard, MD; David Chang, MD; David Loran, MD Sitting, left to right: William Bachinsky, MD; Brijeshwar Maini, MD; Stuart B. Pink, MD Vascular Service With Distinction As a comprehensive vascular service provider, PinnacleHealth offers the highest level of care in central Pennsylvania. PinnacleHealth has been a hub for vascular services for more than 50 years. Because peripheral vascular disease affects approximately 10 million Americans, vascular care is vital to meeting a community s health needs. PinnacleHealth has assembled a diverse group of vascular specialists with locations on both the East Shore and West Shore of the Susquehanna River to provide the highest quality of service. COMPREHENSIVE CARE We offer services in all aspects of vascular medicine, dealing with the full spectrum of arterial and venous diseases and vascular emergencies, says William Bachinsky, MD, interventional cardiologist with Moffitt Heart and Vascular Group, PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute and medical director of the PinnacleHealth Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Our full-service, integrated vascular program allows patients to work with physicians who specialize in the type of vascular disease specific to their cases. Physicians use the most advanced equipment, such as laser catheters to open blocked leg arteries, specialized neck artery stents to help prevent stroke, and the most sophisticated computed axial tomography (CAT) scan machine in central Pennsylvania, as they provide head-to-toe arterial care. Treatment of venous disease is available as both outpatient and inpatient services. Physicians at PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute perform varicose vein treatment, venous ulcer treatments and venous filter implants. 2

3 PREVENTION CIRCULATING AND SERVING Vascular medicine is incredibly important since it provides care for the entire circulatory system. Therefore, any issue that involves circulation, from artery and vein diseases to blood clotting disorders, requires vascular care. INNOVATION TREATMENT Our hospital has achieved Magnet recognition for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which means that our nurses are in the top 6 percent in the country. It s another sign that we offer the highest level of vascular care. Stuart B. Pink, MD Common Vascular Issues Physicians who specialize in vascular medicine combat a number of diseases and disorders, including: Peripheral arterial disease occurs when blood flow to arteries outside of the heart is restricted Aneurysms are irregular bulges in blood vessel walls Varicose veins are swollen veins that can ache and are caused by damaged valves Blood clots in the veins require vascular care, because they can limit blood flow throughout the body Are you at risk for a st roke, abdo minal aneurysm or blockag es in your legs? Vascu lar screenin gs can be helpful in d etecting po tentially lif threatening econditions for patients with risk fa ctors for va scular dise To learn ab ase. out vascula r screening offered mo s nthly at Fre drickse Outpatient Center on th n e Cumberlan d Campus, ca ll (717) The Cardiovascular Institute is a one-stop shop for vascular services, says David Loran, MD, cardiac/vascular surgeon at PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery. Our team performs the most sophisticated vascular procedures, such as non-surgically implanting stent grafts to treat abdominal aneurysms, and we re constantly offering screenings, experimenting with clinical trials and delving into the most modern practices. SYNERGY IN SERVICE A team approach to vascular care amplifies the quality of service provided at PinnacleHealth. Along with the skilled and experienced physicians, assistants and nurses work to provide vascular medicine around the clock. The team approach is essential to our program, says Stuart B. Pink, MD, interventional cardiologist, Associated Cardiologists, PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute. Our hospital has achieved Magnet recognition for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which means that our nurses are in the top 6 percent in the country. It s another sign that we offer the highest level of vascular care. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT OR REQUEST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VASCULAR SERVICES AT PINNACLEHEALTH, CALL (717)

4 Advancing Cardiovascular Care PinnacleHealth formed the Cardiovascular Institute to answer a national call for better healthcare delivery. In the wake of ongoing healthcare reforms, private physician groups across the country have been teaming up with hospitals and major health systems in an attempt to create a better model for patient care. Looking at national data, we are seeing a widening gap between the accessibility of cardiologists and the need for cardiovascular care, says Jean Wiest, RN, president of the PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute. We established the Cardiovascular Institute to close that gap for people in central Pennsylvania. LEADING THE WAY PinnacleHealth formed the Cardiovascular Institute to make local cardiovascular care networks easier to navigate. Now, residents of Harrisburg and outlying areas can access a higher quality of heart and vascular care through a more streamlined process. PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute concentrates the various specialties of 31 cardiologists across the area for a fuller range of services, says Ken May, MD, FACC, FACAI, interventional cardiologist with Associated Cardiologists, PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute. Using an easy referral system, we connect every patient to a cardiologist or surgeon who can meet his or her specific needs. HOW TRIALS BENEFIT PATIENTS PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute offers a number of exclusive clinical trials for patients looking for the newest cardiovascular treatment, including the landmark EXCEL trial for patients with left main coronary artery disease comparing stenting to bypass surgery. Another notable trial is the Medtronic CoreValve U.S. Pivotal Trial which involves implanting an artificial valve through a minimally invasive or percutaneous method. Rather than opening the heart, the artificial valve is inserted through small catheters in the groin or underneath the shoulder bone. This technique is an investigational treatment for patients whose secondary health issues make them poor candidates for invasive surgery. Additionally, PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute is the only facility to offer the CANOPY Trial involving the treatment of blockages in the carotid (neck) artery using stents rather than traditional invasive surgery to reduce the risk for stroke for patients who are considered standard risk for surgery. PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute also offers the GORE HELEX Septal Occluder versus Antiplatelet Medical Management as treatment in the REDUCE trial for reduction of recurrent stroke or MRI/CT scan confirmed TIA. By participating in clinical trials, patients have access to new research treatments, which could make a significant difference in their health, says Felix Gutierrez, MD, FACC, cardiologist with Moffitt Heart and Vascular Group, PinnacleHealth Cardiovascular Institute. PinnacleHealth s commitment to offering the latest clinical trials is just another way the hospital is improving patient care. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS OR TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL (717) pinnaclehealth.org

5 WINTER SPRING 2012 PREVENTION INNOVATION TREATMENT pinnaclehealth.org Another First for Heart Patients PinnacleHealth s Cardiovascular Institute is the first center in central Pennsylvania to perform total endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. PinnacleHealth s Cardiovascular Institute delivers the latest in an evolution of minimally invasive heart surgeries with the total endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) using the da Vinci Surgical System. In the past, patients with severely blocked arteries of the heart were candidates for open-heart surgery, which required surgeons to cut and spread the rib cage to bypass blocked arteries with arteries and veins from other parts of the body. In mid-october, Mubashir Mumtaz, MD, FACS, chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at PinnacleHealth, performed the first TECAB in central Pennsylvania using the da Vinci Surgical System along with his colleague, David Loran, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at PinnacleHealth, and the surgical team. Cardiac surgeons at PinnacleHealth have been using the da Vinci Surgical System since 2006 to harvest the left internal mammary artery (LIMA). During this procedure, surgeons created four keyhole incisions between the ribs through which they inserted instruments and a camera. However, the actual bypass was an open surgery completed through a three- to four-inch incision on the left side of the chest. TECAB is different. TECAB is advanced because the entire procedure of harvesting the left internal mammary artery and completing the bypass graft is performed using the da Vinci Surgical System, says Dr. Mumtaz. Performed through portholes for the da Vinci Surgical System, TECAB eliminates the need for the large incision in the chest and the small incisions in between the ribs. 5 A NATURAL EVOLUTION TECAB restores adequate blood flow to the heart by grafting the LIMA to the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), for example. The LIMA to LAD graft is the most important bypass we do because it helps ensure patients long-term survival, says Dr. Mumtaz. Total robotic bypass surgery allows surgeons to complete the graft without an open incision. BENEFITING PATIENTS The da Vinci Surgical System improves patient recovery time while maintaining the same effectiveness as the conventional approach to cardiovascular procedures, says Dr. Mumtaz. In the future, we hope to use the da Vinci Surgical System to close holes in the heart and repair valves. We are grateful and feel blessed to offer TECAB, a natural evolution of robotic surgery, to our patients. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ROBOTIC HEART SURGERY AND OTHER HEART SURGERIES AT PINNACLEHEALTH, JOIN US FOR A PRESENTATION, LEAKY PLUMBING AND RUSTED PIPES: COMMON HEART CONDITIONS AND THE LATEST TREATMENTS, BY DR. MUMTAZ ON THURSDAY, FEB. 9, AT THE GIANT IN CAMP HILL. CALL (717) TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT.

6 Pinnacle Health System P.O. Box 8700 Harrisburg, PA Nonprofit Organization US Postage PAID Harrisburg, PA Permit No. 600 Supporting Your Heart Swift Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart s muscle becomes inefficient after a heart attack or other event and slowly loses its ability to pump enough blood to meet the body s needs. If you or a loved one is currently living with this condition, the Heart Failure Center at PinnacleHealth is here to offer support. Since August 2007, PinnacleHealth has offered patients coping with heart failure a way to connect with other patients and listen to presentations by PinnacleHealth medical professionals about a variety of heart-related topics through the Friends of the Heart support group. The goal of Friends of the Heart is to give heart failure patients and their loved ones access to the latest and most pertinent information related to their care, says Jenni Reese, BSN, RN-BC, nurse at PinnacleHealth. Our healthcare team provides heart failure patients with the information and skills they need to better manage their chronic illness. NEW LOCATION AND TIME, SAME DEPENDABLE INFORMATION Friends of the Heart support group will be held the fourth Thursday of the month in Conference Room 1, Rehab Hospital, PinnacleHealth s Community Campus. Treatment for Heart Attack Patients Time is critical when it comes to treating a heart attack. That s why PinnacleHealth has protocols in place to ensure you receive medical attention as quickly as possible. Upon arrival at the hospital, our staff quickly springs into action. Our door-to-balloon time the amount of time it takes from the moment a patient arrives at the hospital until treatment is initiated has been consistently below the 90-minute national standard set by the American Heart Association. In fact, our median door-to-balloon time is just 55 minutes. We also recorded a 100 percent success rate for a total of 51 heart attack patients between January and June, surpassing both regional and national standards. If you or a loved one is experiencing a heart attack, call 911 immediately. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE HEART SUPPORT GROUP, VISIT PINNACLEHEALTH.ORG OR CALL THE HEART FAILURE CENTER AT (717)

Robotic Hybrid Coronary Revascularization

Robotic Hybrid Coronary Revascularization Important benefits before, during, and after surgery If you have coronary artery disease (CAD), your doctor may discuss several treatment options with you. These