A new Structural Heart Program offers our patients a truly comprehensive approach, reducing the number of clinic visits and shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment. The Structural Heart Program is a combination of expertise from cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology and imaging cardiology. It includes four surgeons, three interventional cardiologists, three imaging cardiologists and two…
Ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (A-fib) has been shown to be superior to medical management for the maintenance of sinus rhythm. Now, newer ablation techniques are making the procedure safer, more efficient and effective. The STOP AF First and EARLY AF trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine in early 2021 showed cryoablation…
New treatments are available for patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a rare, underdiagnosed condition that causes faulty proteins to build up in the heart. Untreated, the condition leads to heart failure and death. An oral medication, tafamidis, serves as a stabilizer, binding the misfolded transthyretin (TTR) protein to keep it from breaking apart. When…
In a recent continuing medical education presentation, Kelly C. McCants, M.D., executive medical director, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program, and executive director, Institute for Health Equity, a Part of Norton Healthcare, described the state of health care disparities in Louisville. He also detailed how vulnerable communities struggle, in particular…
A heart murmur is a sound that can be heard via stethoscope. These whooshing or swishing sounds are caused when blood flow is turbulent as it moves through the heart. A normal heartbeat makes a “lubb-dupp” sound as the valves close, but a heart murmur sounds different. A systolic murmur begins during or after the…
Hybrid ablation is used as treatment for long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (A-fib), the most severe form of the condition affecting about 45% of A-fib patients. Steven M. Peterson, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Structural Heart Program, gave a clinical case review of a hybrid ablation procedure. He was joined by Kent…
New American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidance strongly recommends coronary computed tomography (CT) imaging as a noninvasive, first-line tool for evaluating patients with stable chest pain suspected of having possible coronary artery disease (CAD). The new guideline cites high-quality evidence in concluding coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is “effective for diagnosis of CAD, risk…
A group of Norton Healthcare physicians is using a novel approach to mitral valve repair. Research has shown that many patients with suture-based left atrial appendage surgical ligation have incomplete closure that puts them at risk for thromboembolic events. Closure of the LAA, either via percutaneous or surgical methods, could decrease risk. Thrombi typically arise…
The patient A 33-year-old male presented with a history of a bicuspid aortic valve. He had previously undergone two aortic valve replacements. The patient first underwent aortic valve replacement in 2009 due to severe aortic insufficiency. A porcine valve was selected due to the patient’s status as a competitive football player. The patient’s recovery for…
Ayryn P. Chilton-Gelfo, PA-C, has joined Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. The physician assistant is seeing patients in offices in downtown Louisville, on the Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Healthcare – St. Matthews campuses, and on Dixie Highway. Most recently, Ayryn worked at Norton Healthcare emergency departments for 14 years. Before that,…
A multidisciplinary team of interventional cardiologists and a cardiothoracic surgeon performed Louisville’s first successful transcatheter replacement of a native mitral valve this week. The team with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Structural Heart Program used a transcatheter aortic valve (commonly referred to as TAVR) to replace the patient’s mitral valve that was unable to be…
The American College of Cardiology recognizes exceptional care at cardiology hospitals with its HeartCare Center National Distinction of Excellence award. The award recognizes forward-thinking heart hospitals with goals to advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement. Specifically, the 54,000-member college requires HeartCare Centers to demonstrate their “commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process…