Expert Available: Interventional Cardiology Procedures for Congenital Heart Defects

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40,000 babies are born with these defects annually. Ochsner Children’s Hospital offers minimally invasive procedures, such as catheterization, to repair conditions like Atrial Septal Defect, Patency of the Ductus Arteriosus, and Valve…

New Research Highlights Superior Long-Term Survival with Multi-Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Over Single Arterial Grafting

A new study presented at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ 2024 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, examines the ongoing controversy surrounding the choice between multi-arterial grafting (MAG) and single arterial grafting (SAG) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for multivessel coronary revascularization.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center Again Recognized Among Nation’s Top 50 for Heart and Vascular Care

MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again been recognized as one of the top 50 cardiovascular centers in the country by U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals.” MedStar Washington’s Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery program is tied for the No. 33 spot nationwide in this year’s rankings by U.S. News. It is the only nationally recognized heart and vascular program of its kind in the Washington region. MedStar Washington was also rated as high performing in two adult specialties: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery and Geriatrics and 15 common procedures or conditions.

Mount Sinai Receives Significant Funding to Study Which Coronary Revascularization Procedure Best Improves Survival and Quality of Life for Women and Underserved Minority Groups

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will help lead and launch the first clinical trial focusing on women and minority populations to determine which coronary revascularization procedure best improves their survival and quality of life.

Researchers discover new opportunities for preventing kidney injury following cardiac surgery

A new study finds that the minimum level of oxygen delivery during cardiopulmonary bypass may be lower than previously thought — meaning, there may be opportunities to avoid transfusing patients during cardiac surgical procedures. Researchers say cardiac surgical programs may be unnecessarily transfusing patients to prevent kidney injury.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Marks A Decade as One of the Nation’s Best

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll for the 10th consecutive year. The Honor Roll is a top distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals nationwide recognized by U.S. News as the “Best of the Best.” Nationwide Children’s is ranked sixth on the 2023-24 Honor Roll list.

Multicenter Trial Finds Using Circulatory Death Donors is Safe and Effective for Heart Transplantation

A study published in New England Journal of Medicine confirms that circulatory death donor hearts that are reanimated and perfused with blood outside of the body are as safe and effective to transplant as brain death donor hearts preserved using traditional cold storage. These findings suggest that using hearts donated after circulatory death (DCD) may have the potential to widen the donor pool helping more patients in need of life-saving heart transplants.

U-M Health surgical team guides Zambia’s first total aortic arch replacement

Surgeons in Zambia completed the country’s first total aortic arch replacement – guided by a team from University of Michigan Health. Zambia, a country of around 20 million people, has fewer than 10 cardiac specialists in both the government and private sector. Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s second leading cause of death.

New Risk Score Predicts Mortality for Atrial Fibrillation Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Mount Sinai researchers develop new risk stratification tool to optimize patient care and outcomes after TAVR

MedStar Washington Hospital Center Again Named Among Nation’s Top 50 for Heart Care

MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again achieved national ranking for Cardiology & Heart Surgery in the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings. It moved up to No. 28, from No. 30 last year. It is the only nationally recognized heart program of its kind in the Washington metropolitan area. MedStar Washington also earned “high performing” ratings in cancer, gastroenterology & GI surgery, Urology, and in 12 common procedures and conditions.

Stress Testing Can Help Determine Which Patients Are Likely to Benefit From Heart Procedures to Improve Survival

Mount Sinai study can help guide proper treatment course for patients depending on heart function and severity of heart damage

Ochsner Hospital for Children Named #1 in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report for the Second Year in a Row

Ochsner Hospital for Children has been named #1 in Louisiana in the new Best Children’s Hospitals for 2022 – 23 rankings published online today for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report – the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice.

New insight in patient response to surgical disruption in life-saving hormones

Research by experts at the Universities of Birmingham and Bristol, published today in Royal Society Interface, shows cardiac surgery causes major dynamic changes in concentration of ACTH and cortisol, as well as their pattern of secretion.
Using novel mathematical techniques, researchers developed a model of HPA axis activity that predicts the physiological mechanisms responsible for different patterns of cortisol secretion.

Hopkins Med News Update

NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:

-Study: Race and Ethnicity May Impact Prevalence and Treatment of Heart Valve Dysfunction
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Suggests Eliminating Nerve Cell Protein May Stop ALS, Dementia
-Researchers Tell Doctors to Avoid Routine Urinary Tests for Older Patients with Delirium
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Show How Air Pollution May Cause Chronic Sinusitis
-Researchers ID Location on Brain Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development
-COVID-19 News: The Return of Onsite Schooling — and How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID

MedStar Washington Hospital Center Again Named Among Nation’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care

MedStar Washington Hospital Center has been named among the nation’s top heart hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. Its Cardiology and Heart Surgery program climbed to #30, up seven from last year’s “Best Hospitals” rankings. It is the only nationally recognized heart program of its kind in the Washington region.

Rush University Medical Center Again on U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll

Of the more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals evaluated, Rush University Medical Center ranked No. 19 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, with nine of specialties rated among the country’s very best.

Reducing Need for Blood Transfusion during Heart Surgery Is Focus of New Practice Guideline

Four leading medical specialty societies released a new clinical practice guideline that includes recommendations for reducing blood loss during heart surgery and improving patient outcomes. The document is a multidisciplinary collaboration among The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology, and Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management.

Bio-inspired hydrogel protects the heart from post-op adhesions

A hydrogel that forms a barrier to keep heart tissue from adhering to surrounding tissue after surgery was developed and successfully tested in rodents by a team of University of California San Diego researchers. The team of engineers, scientists and physicians also conducted a pilot study on porcine hearts, with promising results.

They describe their work in the June 18, 2021 issue of Nature Communications.

Two approaches used to protect the brain during aortic aneurysm repair are equally effective and safe

Two commonly used approaches to protect the brain during surgery to repair an ascending aortic aneurysm are equally effective, according to a review by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers published October 6 in the Journal of Cardiac Surgery.
Dr. Joseph Lamelas, pioneer of the minimally invasive approach to cardiac surgery, authors study.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center Again Ranks Among Top U.S. Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care

MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again been recognized as one of the top 50 cardiovascular centers in the country. The Hospital Center’s Cardiology and Heart Surgery program moved up four spots from last year’s survey, to No. 37, in the 2020-21 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings. It also received the highest rating possible in aortic valve surgery, congestive heart failure, heart bypass surgery, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

The Mount Sinai Hospital Ranked Among Top in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report; Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Claims No. 1 Spot in Specialty Rankings

The Mount Sinai Hospital, the flagship hospital of Mount Sinai Health System, was listed among the nation’s top hospitals for care excellence in U.S. News and World Report, marking the fifth straight year the hospital has been listed among the top 20 in the country while landing on the distinctive “Honor Roll” list.

Internationally Recognized Cardiothoracic Surgeon Available for Comment on Aortic Dissection

Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, is Director of the Thoracic Aortic Surgery Program at Penn Medicine, a multidisciplinary program encompassing all aspects of aortic disease, including thoracic aortic reconstruction and Marfan syndrome. He also is Vice Chief of the Division of…

Mayo Clinic study looks at changes in patient characteristics, outcomes for coronary revascularization over 14-year period

The most common type of heart disease ― coronary artery disease ― affects 6.7% of adults and accounts for 20% of 2 in 10 deaths of adults under age 65. The condition builds over time as inflammation and cholesterol-containing plaques settle in the heart’s arteries, where they can eventually cause narrowing and blockages that lead to a heart attack.

Mount Sinai Ranked Among the Top in the Nation by U.S. News & World Report

The Hospital was ranked No. 14 nationally, up four spots from last year. Eight departments within the Hospital were ranked among the top 20 nationally in their specialties, up from five last year

First Patient Receives Surgery in UNC-Led International Pivotal Trial for Repair of Thoracoabdominal and Pararenal Aortic Aneurysms

The pivotal trial to determine the safety and effectiveness of a modular device designed to be the first completely off-the-shelf endovascular solution for aortic aneurysms involving the visceral branch vessels is successfully underway with its first surgery at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC.