![]() ![]() Uberoi inserts Impella, a temporary internal heart pump, through a catheter in the femoral artery and advances it into position in the left ventricle.ĭr. If I can help people to improve their quality of life and enjoy their time on this earth, then that’s what I want to do.Īnother important new cath-based procedure is helping patients whose hearts need a little extra help to survive coronary stenting and other high-risk procedures. Like many cath-based procedures, the MitraClip procedure is a good option for patients who are high-risk for surgery. The device, called a MitraClip, can be used to clip the two leaflets of the mitral valve together to prevent blood from leaking backward and causing serious breathing problems for the patient. He also says that NWP heart specialists are using “amazing minimally invasive technology” to repair mitral valves. “This is important because Watchman prevents clots from breaking loose, entering the blood stream, and potentially causing a stroke,” explains Dr. Uberoi implants Watchman, a tiny umbrella-like device that blocks the left atrial appendage to prevent blood from pooling. Uberoi and interventional cardiologists Robert Crawford, MD, Tim Hudson, MD, and Arun Kuchela, MD, are helping patients with heart conditions by using new technologies and less-invasive surgical techniques to close holes in hearts, remove blockages, and open arteries.Ītrial fibrillation is another condition that can be treated minimally invasively. It will be available for patient care in October 2018.īesides TAVR, Dr. ![]() To keep pace with these innovations, a state-of-the-art surgical room with advanced imaging capabilities is being added to Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center. Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Heart and Vascular Care in Oregon was founded in 2009 and has grown into a regional leader and early adopter of cath-based heart procedures. He’s also grateful to the care team of doctors, nurses, and other professionals “who managed all my needs quickly, efficiently, professionally and often with a smile.” He’s also become more introspective, vowing to make changes in his approach to life.īurns attributes his new lease on life to his sister, who recommended that he join Kaiser Permanente for excellent care and coverage. “I feel 20 years younger.” He jogs a couple of miles each day, walks his dogs, does pushups, and has discovered a fondness for yoga. “My life has gone from a slow-degeneration toward certain death, to a full life with my physical ability restored,” said Burns. Patients stay a week or more following open-heart surgery. Hospital stays following cath-based procedures are usually just one or two days. Uberoi threaded a catheter through the patient’s leg into the heart and positioned the new valve.Ĭath-based procedures mean smaller scars, less risk of infection, and quicker recovery, compared to open-heart surgeries. Less-Invasive, Faster RecoveryĪs with a growing number of heart procedures that are performed using a cath-based technique, Dr. Abhimanyu Uberoi, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Northwest Permanente (NWP) and structural heart medical director at Kaiser Permanente Northwest, offered him an alternative treatment called TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement). This common but serious condition occurs when a narrowing of the aortic valve opening restricts blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta.īecause of other health issues, however, Burns wasn’t a viable candidate for open-heart surgery to replace his worn-out valve. He chalked it up to “old age,” and put off seeing a doctor for as long as he could.Īfter several rounds of tests at Kaiser Permanente, the 65-year-old was diagnosed with what he calls “a laundry list of problems” - including aortic valve stenosis. ![]() He couldn’t climb the stairs or perform simple tasks without experiencing shortness of breath and fatigue. Innovation Powers Minimally Invasive Cardiac Care that Helps Patients Heal Faster, Live Longerįrank Burns could no longer walk his beloved dogs along their favorite riverside trail. ![]()
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