When patients are considering joint replacement surgery, we look at several important benchmarks to see if the patient is ready. The first consideration is pain. Is the pain they’re experiencing in their knee intermittent, occurring only during strenuous activity, or is it constant and interfering with their daily lives? If it’s only intermittent, the patient…
Those who experience migraine know the pain. It’s not sinuses or “just a normal headache.” But do they know all of the migraine treatments that are available? The numbers bear it out: Migraine is a common condition and not centered in Louisville or Southern Indiana. More than 47 million Americans live with migraine, over 15%…
Bryan Davis, Psy.D., has joined the Norton Neuroscience Institute, providing psychological care to patients with neurological disorders. Dr. Davis, a licensed clinical psychologist, completed his clinical health psychology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis in Ohio. At the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Davis integrated behavioral medicine as part of the interdisciplinary team…
Deciding when to prescribe naloxone (Narcan), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, presents unique challenges. We must consider how these challenges can lead to deteriorating mental health and increased substance use, and therefore a higher risk of death by suicide or overdose. As stewards of our patients’ health, we seek to minimize these risks. It is…
After participating in a groundbreaking clinical trial that showed the Optune tumor treatment field device improves glioblastoma multiforme survival when combined with chemotherapy, neuro-oncologists at the Norton Healthcare Brain Tumor Center in Louisville, Kentucky, are treating non-trial participants. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the device in conjunction with maintenance temozolomide chemotherapy…
Five years after complex adult spinal deformity surgery, patients reported durable improvement in a range of measurable outcomes, according to a recently published study. Patients reported improvements in lower-back pain functionality (Oswestry Disability Index), overall health (SF-36 physical and mental health scores), health-related quality of life (Scoliosis Research Society – 22R) and back and leg…
The patient A 57-year-old man presented to the Norton Brownsboro Hospital emergency department with complaints of headaches that started two weeks earlier and worsened over the preceding few days. In addition, his family reported subtle changes in behavior, including increased sleepiness and issues with memory. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan demonstrated a brain mass…
When a patient gets care through telehealth and needs hands-on diagnostic services, Norton Healthcare Express Services can be a convenient alternative to a traditional outpatient visit. Norton providers also can refer patients from office visits to the Hikes Point facility. The facility tests for COVID-19, flu and strep. Blood draws and vaccinations are also available…
Jennifer Bonafede, PA-C Cardiology Cynthia Carter, PA-C Hospital Medicine Candace L. Middleton-Combs, APRN Cardiology Tessie Hepworth, APRN Pulmonology Leah Holmes, APRN Urgent Care Linda Tucker, APRN Urgent Care
A new clinical trial, known as CHAMPION-AF, is underway to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device compared with a new generation of blood thinners within a broad population of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (A-fib). The WATCHMAN FLX device replaces long-term blood thinner use by closing the…
Younger African Americans are more likely to have conditions like heart disease, stroke and diabetes that among white people tend not to show up until much later in life, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among the study’s findings: “Social and economic conditions, such as poverty, contribute to the…
As the nation’s attention turns toward the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, providers are seeing many pregnant patients engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use, to cope with the stress of the pandemic. Across all demographics, mental health issues have increased with the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a…