Tags Posts tagged with "Dr. Allison McLarty"

Dr. Allison McLarty

Photo from Stony Brook University Hospital

For the estimated 1.6 million Americans diagnosed with symptomatic tricuspid valve regurgitation each year, a significant advancement in treatment is now available on Long Island. With the launch of the new Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR) Program at the Stony Brook Heart Institute (SBHI), patients at Stony Brook Medicine have access to groundbreaking, minimally invasive therapies.

The heart has four valves — aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid — that control the direction of blood flow. In tricuspid regurgitation (TR), the tricuspid valve’s flaps do not close tightly, allowing blood to leak backward in the heart. Mild cases may cause no symptoms, but others suffer from fatigue, pulsing neck veins, fluid buildup in the abdomen and legs, and irregular, sometimes dangerous, heartbeats. If left untreated, individuals with severe TR can experience heart failure, blood clots, stroke and other organ damage.

In the hands of Stony Brook’s tricuspid valve specialists, the FDA-approved TriClip™ device offers a revolutionary treatment option. Performed under general anesthesia and guided by advanced imaging, the procedure involves placing a catheter through a vein to the heart, where the TriClip™ is precisely placed to bring valve flaps together, reducing backward blood flow. Because the procedure is minimally invasive and avoids open-heart surgery, most patients are up and walking within hours, discharged in one to two days, and back to their regular lives in about a week. Clinical trials published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that TriClip ™ placement resulted in 87% of patients experiencing a significant reduction in tricuspid regurgitation, compared to less than 5% with medication use alone.

Ahmad Alkhalil, MD, MSc, Director of the Mitral and Tricuspid Interventions at Stony Brook Heart Institute, who performed SBHI’s first TTVR procedure noted, “The tricuspid valve was formerly known as ‘the forgotten valve’ because surgical approaches were too risky and no other treatments were effective for the majority of patients. With our full range of minimally invasive therapies, including tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) and tricuspid transcatheter valve replacement (TTVR), we are proud to be a leader in providing new options for patients on Long Island.”

“We are proud to be at the forefront of bringing new treatment options for symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation,” says Allison McLarty, MD, Interim Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stony Brook Heart Institute and Professor of Surgery, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “Our skilled and dedicated physicians are continuously exploring new and innovative approaches to improve outcomes and the patient experience of people with valve disease.”

“Effective treatment begins with a precise diagnosis. Patients at Stony Brook Heart Institute benefit from a full suite of advanced imaging technologies, including 3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TTE and TEE), cardiac MRI, CT angiography, nuclear stress testing and carotid ultrasound. These tools allow SBHI’s specialists to map each patient’s unique valve anatomy and tailor treatment to their needs,” added Smadar Kort, MD, Co-Director of the Valve Program and the Director of Non-Invasive Imaging at Stony Brook Heart Institute. “With multiple advanced imaging and procedural locations across Suffolk County, including Stony Brook, Commack and Riverhead, the Heart Institute ensures patients receive top-tier care close to home.”

“At the core of Stony Brook Heart Institute’s TTVR program is a multidisciplinary team of interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists and advance practice practitioners who collaborate closely to ensure every patient receives seamless, compassionate care,” says Hal Skopicki, MD, PhD, Co-Director of Stony Brook Heart Institute and the Ambassador Charles A. Gargano Chair of Cardiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “As an academic medical center actively participating in national and international clinical trials, we provide patients with access to emerging valve devices and interventions not yet widely available — offering many the opportunity to avoid open-heart surgery and benefit from the most cutting-edge, patient-centered cardiovascular care available today.”

To contact the Stony Brook Heart Institute, call 631-44HEART or visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu

About Stony Brook Heart Institute:  

Stony Brook Heart Institute is located within Stony Brook University Hospital as part of Long Island’s premier university-based medical center. The Heart Institute offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The staff includes full-time and community-based, board-certified cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as specially trained anesthesiologists, nurses, advanced practice practitioners, respiratory therapists, surgical technologists, perfusionists, and other support staff. Their combined expertise provides state-of-the-art interventional and surgical capabilities in 24-hour cardiac catheterization labs and surgical suites. And while the Heart Institute clinical staff offers the latest advances in medicine, its physician-scientists are also actively enhancing knowledge of the heart and blood vessels through basic biomedical studies and clinical research.

Two Stony Brook Heart Institute (SBHI) cardiothoracic surgeons have been inducted into the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). Member inductions are reserved for a limited number of select physicians each year and SBHI has the distinction of having two cardiothoracic surgeons as AATS members. Henry Tannous, MD, Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Director, SBHI, was inducted during AATS’s 104th annual meeting on April 29th and Allison McLarty, MD, Director, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program and Co-Director, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program, was selected by the AATS for induction in 2020. The membership recognizes expertise, innovation and outstanding reputation for clinical excellence in both adult cardiac and thoracic surgery.

“It is an honor to have been inducted into the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and to be acknowledged among so many esteemed researchers, clinicians and clinical leaders,” says Dr. Tannous. “I am immeasurably grateful to join this noteworthy group of individuals, including my accomplished colleague Dr. McLarty. Our entire cardiothoracic team is focused on one goal — to deliver the best in surgical outcomes to our patients.”

From Dr. McLarty, Stony Brook’s first AATS inductee: “Being a part of the elite AATS community is humbling and inspires me daily to be even more resolute and unwavering in my pursuit of cardiothoracic excellence. It is a pleasure to extend my congratulations to Dr. Tannous.”

Stony Brook’s Chair of the Department of Surgery, Apostolos Tassiopoulos, MD, shared his congratulations, “Drs. Tannous and McLarty have truly set a benchmark in their striving for quality cardiothoracic care — their hard work and dedication are always evident, and this honor is well deserved. Placing Stony Brook among the most advanced facilities in the U.S., our skilled and dedicated heart and lung surgeons and our growing cardiothoracic program continues to raise the bar for cardiac and thoracic care here on Long Island.”

Founded in 1917, the prestigious AATS is composed of more than 1,500 of the world’s foremost cardiothoracic surgeons from 46 countries and recognizes the height of professional achievement and significant contributions of those at the top of their field.

For more information about Dr. Tannous and Dr. McLarty, visit https://heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu/AATS

 

A 42-year-old pastor from Long Island gets a special thank you from a New York Jets legend after battling COVID-19 at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH).

At the height of the pandemic, Doug Jansson organized prayer parades with his church, Living Word Church, at a few locations on Long Island, including Stony Brook University Hospital, where his mother-in-law was being treated for COVID-19 back in March. Doug, his wife Kelly and members of their church would drive around the hospital, signs and all, and stop to pray for staff and the patients they were treating. Their kindness didn’t stop there as they even organized grocery donations and drop-offs across Long Island.

Things came full circle on December 12, 2020 when Doug was admitted to SBUH after testing positive for COVID-19. Doug wound up in the ICU and on Christmas Eve he was intubated and placed on life support. The people he had been praying for were now caring for him.

Led by Dr. Paul Strachan and Dr. Allison McLarty, staff from nearly every division and department at SBUH helped care for Doug. Teams in pulmonary, CT surgery, ID, Medicine, Psychiatry/palliative care, GI, Hematology, Cardiology, Vascular and more helped on his road to recovery.

Doug was taken off ECMO on December 29 and extubated on January 5, 2021 before being discharged on February 3, 2021. He and his wife say the staff of every unit became like family and it seemed that the entire hospital was involved and routing for his recovery.

“The staff at Stony Brook were fighting for Doug and rooting him on. They were so encouraging to us. I am speechless over the care we’ve received,” said Kelly Jansson.

Rob Nocito, a resident in Emergency Medicine at SBUH, was one of the physicians who assisted in taking Doug off the ventilator. Nocito noticed Jansson was a hardcore New York Jets fan from the team’s memorabilia hanging in his room. Nocito happens to be good friends with Erik Coleman, a former defender on the Jets. He gave Coleman a call and he quickly agreed to talk to Jansson.

“My job is to make people feel better, and that doesn’t always mean medicine,” said Nocito.

Jansson was speechless as he met the NFL star via FaceTime. Coleman wished Jansson well and thanked him for everything he has done. See the moment here.

His wife Kelly couldn’t believe somebody would be so kind and do this for him. “We are so grateful to the staff at Stony Brook. They go above and beyond every single day,” she said.

As Doug was discharged, staff lined the hallways to wish him well.

Doug now looks forward to returning home to his wife and three children as well as getting back to the work he loves with his church.

Photos courtesy of SBUH