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Stony Brook University Heart Institute

Eric Rashba, MD, Director, Heart Rhythm Center; Puja Parikh, MD; Interventional Cardiologist; and Smadar Kort, MD, Director of Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging, in Stony Brook’s Advanced Multifunctional Cath/EP Lab. Photo by Jim Lennon/ SB Medicine

Stony Brook University Heart Institute is now offering its patients the latest generation of the Watchman FLX™ device, which provides protection from strokes for people who have atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, that is not caused by a heart valve problem.

Eric Rashba, MD, Director, Heart Rhythm Center holding the new Watchman FLX device. Photo by Jim Lennon/SB Medicine

Stony Brook is one of a select number of sites in New York State to offer the new Watchman FLX device. The procedure, which closes off the part of the heart where 90% of stroke-causing clots come from, will be done in Stony Brook University Hospital’s new Advanced Multifunctional Cath/EP Lab. The large, 845-square-foot multi-functional laboratory has been carefully designed and outfitted with state-of-the-art technology to allow the Heart Institute physicians to perform a full range of procedures.

People with AFib, the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, have an increased risk of stroke by 5 times on average. Blood thinners are often prescribed to help prevent strokes but “some experience bleeding problems or have other reasons why blood thinners aren’t the best option,” explains Eric Rashba, MD, Director, Heart Rhythm Center at Stony Brook Heart Institute.

The Watchman device, which is about the size of a quarter, provides an alternative to the lifelong use of blood thinners (anticoagulants) for people with AFib by blocking blood clots from leaving the heart and possibly causing a stroke.

The design of the newer, Watchman FLX device used by the Heart Institute offers significant advantages to the patient, including:

  • Advanced safety due to the new framing of the device that allows for more long-term stability and a more complete seal

  • Enhanced procedural performance that allows the physician to better maneuver and position the device during the procedure

  • A broader size range to permit treatment of a wider range of patient anatomies

“At the Stony Brook Heart Rhythm Center, in the hands of our expert team, we are excited to bring this latest innovation to effectively provide protection equivalent to anticoagulants for preventing strokes and avoiding the risk of serious bleeding,” said Dr. Rashba. “It has saved lives and improved my patients’ quality of life.”

The Philips Azurion 7 provides imaging capabilities at ultra-low radiation dose levels. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook University Hospital has taken a step in offering cardiac diagnosis and treatment that is even more advanced than in the past.

SBUH’s Dr. Robert Pyo, Dr. Henry Tannous, Dr. Eric Rashba and Dr. Hal Skopicki stand in the new multifunctional lab. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine

Recently, the hospital announced the opening of its Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Advanced Multifunctional Laboratory in the Stony Brook University Heart Institute at SBUH. The lab consolidates comprehensive cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology services into one location.

The multifunctional laboratory measures 845 square feet to allow room for various medical teams to perform emergency procedures at the same time if needed. The room includes anesthesia equipment, state-of-the-art angiographic suite equipment and the latest electrophysiology technology. In the lab, physicians are able to continue treating a patient even if the scope of a procedure changes from minimally invasive to more invasive.

When it came time to design the multifunctional laboratory, administrative and medical professionals were able to provide input including Cath Lab Director, Dr. Robert Pyo and EP Lab Director Dr. Eric Rashba.

Pyo said it was important to get input not only from doctors but nurses and technicians, who play a crucial part in documenting procedures, information that will be used during a patient’s treatment.

Rashba said time was spent with the construction group to ensure everything was laid out correctly and that it would work for both specialties in the multifunctional lab. He added that work began April 12 to renovate five existing labs, three Cath and two EP, adjacent to the new Cath/EP lab on the main level of the Heart Institute. One lab at a time will be worked on, and while the additional renovations will take several months, Rashba said the number of patients that Stony Brook doctors can treat will increase, and patients will be able to get appointments quicker than in the past.

“What we’ve seen over time in electrophysiology is that you see more and more patients with arrhythmias that need treatment,” he said. “There’s been an incredible growth in ablation procedures, in particular atrial fibrillation. This will allow us to meet the community need with less waiting times for procedures. So, we’re looking forward to that.”

Since the lab opened March 30, both doctors said the imaging has been superior to what they had been using before. The lab includes an image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic imaging system called the Philips Azurion 7.

“We’re replacing systems that have been installed for over 10 years,” Rashba said. “First of all, we can see a lot better what the definition of the structures are we need to see, plus the radiation definition is a lot lower. So, we’re getting better imaging with less dose to the patient.”

Rashba added that some EP procedures can even be done without radiation.

Pyo said the new multifunctional lab also saves doctors precious time when treating heart patients with both catheterization and electrophysiology in the same room.

“The importance of timing, reducing the time to treatment, whether it’s minutes or seconds, is relative,” Pyo said. “I think that in any case, even in patients who come in electively, getting early diagnosis is crucial.”

Being able to respond quicker is especially crucial with treatment of heart attacks.

“Patients who are presenting with a heart attack, minutes, even seconds, count toward early diagnosis and treatment,” Pyo said, adding if patients don’t get treatment early enough they could suffer irreversible damage.

Dennis Dillon, left, thanks the people who helped him survive a near-fatal heart attack last year. Photo by David Luces

“The kindness and compassion in these people’s heart is why I’m here [today],” Dennis Dillon, 62, said of the group of good Samaritans who he said rushed to his aid after he went into cardiac arrest during a boating trip at Port Jefferson Harbor Aug. 31 over Labor Day weekend. 

The Mount Sinai native, along with his family, reunited Feb. 8 with the rescuers for the first time since the incident. The 10 individuals were presented with the Stony Brook University Heart Institute’s Heart Saver Community Award. 

Mount Sinai native Dennis Dillon stands alongside the good Samaritans and doctors who saved his life a year ago. Photo by David Luces

After Dillon returned from a swim, he went into cardiac arrest after experiencing back and arm pain as well as nausea. His wife, Tricia, immediately began CPR and within minutes good Samaritans began assisting with CPR and sent up a flare to ensure that an ambulance would be standing by. Dillon’s heart was then shocked twice by an AED (defibrillator) and was brought back to shore where he was taken to the heart institute. 

Doctors said the father of three had a 100 percent blockage of the left anterior descending coronary artery, a key artery known as LAD that moves blood to the heart. The condition is dangerous because of its low survival rate, and is often referred to as “the widowmaker.”

“Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, which Mr. Dillon suffered from, is associated with a 5 to 9 percent survival rate,” said Dr. Puja Parikh, interventional cardiologist and co-director of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Program at the heart institute. “It is a true
testament to the bystanders that were present that day, the measures they took before he [Dillon] came to the hospital definitely helped.”

Dillon’s treatment included a drug-eluting stent to his LAD, a tiny metal tube coated with a medication to clear the artery and keep it clear, and tracheal intubation to ensure an open and unobstructed airway. His body temperature was lowered when brought to the coronary care unit, to allow time for his brain and body to heal. Prior to discharge, the catherization team implanted a small internal cardioverter defibrillator in order to avert another cardiac crisis. After 11 days, the Mount Sinai native was released Sept. 11. 

According to the heart institute, a heart attack victim’s chances of survival goes down by about 10 percent for every minute that CPR is not initiated. 

Officials from the institute reiterated that anyone can use an AED if need be. Pictures on the device gives individuals a visual guide on where to put the pads. It also talks to you and won’t go to the next step until the previous task is completed. 

The Dillon family said they planned on buying an AED for their boat in case they ever find another person in a similar situation who needs aid. “I will never be able to repay any of these people, but I can pay it forward by trying to help someone else,” Dennis said.

Doctors will be hosting community events throughout what is American Heart Month. On Feb. 26 from 9 to 10 a.m. Brittany Kickel, chest pain center coordinator, will host Avoiding Common Heart Health Mistakes at the Smith Haven Mall food court. For more information, visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu. 

By Joanna Chikwe, M.D.

February means heart health awareness, but taking care of your heart requires a year-round commitment that has lifelong benefits. What will you do differently to take better care of your heart?

Dr. Joanna Chickwe

Heart disease can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age or background. That’s why all of our cardiac care experts at Stony Brook University Heart Institute remain focused on how to best prevent heart disease and heal the heart. 

When you come to Stony Brook Heart Institute, you can depend on quality and expertise for every aspect of your cardiac care — care that exceeds national outcomes. A few examples:

• Our renowned team of interventional cardiologists have long been on the forefront for treating acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. In fact, we exceed national outcomes and have the best outcomes on Long Island when it comes to bringing lifesaving heart emergency care to heart attack victims, as reported on the Hospital Compare* website. 

• Our heart surgeons have a high degree of expertise in providing advanced approaches to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) — a surgical procedure that uses blood vessels from other areas of your body to restore blood flow to your heart. Our Heart Institute has received a three-star rating — the highest awarded — from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for overall patient care and outcomes in isolated CABG surgery. This distinguished award is in recognition of the isolated CABG procedures we performed from January to December 2017. The STS ratings are regarded as the definitive national reporting system for cardiac surgery. 

• For patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing), Stony Brook is a leader in advancing the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure and is one of a select number of sites in the U.S. to offer this minimally invasive procedure for patients who are considered high, intermediate or low-risk for open surgery. Stony Brook has excellent long-term data on patient outcomes with TAVR, and we are a tertiary referral center for evaluation of aortic valve disease.

• And, for patients with heart failure, a condition where the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body, our world-renowned experts at the Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center help patients to restore their quality of life, limit their symptoms and understand their disease. We are proud that our patient outcomes for survival with heart failure are the best on Long Island and among the best nationally, according to Hospital Compare. 

While we hope that you and your family never need acute cardiac services, you can be assured knowing that Long Island’s only Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation is right in your community. 

And, if you suspect a heart attack, please remember it’s best to call 911. Ambulances are equipped with defibrillators and most are equipped with 12-lead EKGs (electrocardiograms), which means they can transmit results to the hospital while en route. At Stony Brook, we assemble the treatment team and equipment you need before you arrive.

Want to do something today to learn about your heart health? Take a free heart health risk assessment at www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/hearthealth. Seeking a solution to a cardiac problem? Call us at 631-44-HEART (444-3278). We’re ready to help.

*Hospital Compare is a consumer-oriented national website that provides information on how well hospitals provide recommended care to their patients managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Dr. Joanna Chikwe is the director of the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the T.F. Cheng Endowed Professor of Surgery.

By Joanna Chickwe, MD

Dr. Joanna Chickwe

February means heart health awareness, but taking care of your heart requires a year-round commitment that has lifelong benefits. What will you do differently to take better care of your heart?

Heart disease can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age or background. That’s why all of our cardiac care experts at Stony Brook University Heart Institute remain focused on how to best prevent heart disease and heal the heart.

We fight cardiovascular disease from every angle, using the best that cardiovascular medicine can offer: risk factor prevention; state-of-the-art diagnostics, such as 3-D cardiovascular imaging; advanced minimally invasive interventions, including mitral valve repair using a patient’s own valve tissue versus an artificial heart valve; and advanced lifesaving technology, including ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) that gives new hope to people with a serious heart or lung failure.

In the hands of our highly trained heart specialists, these and other important new state-of-the-art therapies are changing cardiac care and lives:

• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for patients with inoperable aortic stenosis (failing heart valves)

• MitraClip, a less invasive treatment option for mitral regurgitation (caused by a leaky mitral valve), for patients who are not candidates for open-heart surgery

• The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for patients with advanced heart failure

• Watchman to provide lifelong protection against stroke in appropriate patients for heart rhythm disorders

• Impella, the world’s smallest heart pump, making procedures safer for high-risk individuals

And while we hope that you and your family never need our acute cardiac services, you can be assured knowing that Long Island’s only accredited Chest Pain Center is right in your community. As one of only nine Chest Pain Centers statewide, Stony Brook Heart Institute is a leader in saving the lives of heart attack victims.

Since “time is muscle” when it comes to treating heart attacks, it is critical to treat patients as fast as possible, so less muscle is damaged. Stony Brook has achieved a “door-to-balloon” time, spanning the arrival at the hospital until the blockage is cleared, of 55 minutes — much better than the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association guidelines to open the blockage in 90 minutes or less.

And, if you suspect a heart attack, it’s best to call 911. Ambulances are equipped with defibrillators and most are equipped with 12-lead EKGs (electrocardiograms), which means they can transmit results to the hospital while en route. At Stony Brook, we assemble the treatment team and equipment you need before you arrive.

Have a question about heart disease prevention? Seeking a solution to a cardiac problem? Call us at 631-44-HEART (444-3278). We’re ready to help.

Joanna Chikwe is the director of Stony Brook University Heart Institute; chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery; and T.F. Cheng professor of cardiothoracic surgery.