Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a minimally invasive treatment for patients at high risk for conventional surgery. Mitral valve regurgitation sometimes doesn’t need any treatment or can be treated with medication. In moderate to severe cases the valve needs repair to make it close tighter…
When vascular surgeon Nathaniel T. Liu, M.D., sees patients, one of his goals is to communicate and help them understand their treatment options. Hearing a doctor explain arterial blockages or how damaged veins are responsible for leg pain can be a bit confusing and even scary to a worried patient. But knowledge, as they say,…
UK HealthCare (UKHC) and Norton Heart & Vascular Institute are announcing a collaboration to expand advanced heart failure, ventricular assist device (VAD) placement and heart transplant services to Kentuckians. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Kentucky, and the commonwealth has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the country. Norton…
As a natural phase of life, menopause offers a perfect opportunity to reflect with a patient on heart health and potential lifestyle changes — before she loses the “protective” effect of estrogen. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for both women and men, and the risk of heart disease for women rises significantly eight…
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Heart Rhythm Center is the first in the region to offer the Watchman FLX left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) implant, a device designed to prevent stroke in patients with certain kinds of atrial fibrillation (A-fib). What is it? The Watchman FLX, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in…
Knowing when to refer a heart failure patient for specialist care can be crucial, according to Bassel Alkhalil, M.D., medical director of Norton Heart & Vascular Institute’s mechanical circulatory support program. In general, earlier is better. Even though heart failure patients are often the sickest of the sick, according to Dr. Alkhalil there is a…
Abbott and the Association of Black Cardiologists will host a webinar Oct. 27, “Advanced Heart Failure and Black Americans: Strategies for Improved Patient Outcomes.” The program will feature a panel of presenters from 5 to 6 p.m., including Kelly C. McCants, M.D., medical director of the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure Program…
By Misty D. Ellis, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC Nurse practitioners in the Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit are trained and certified in pediatric acute care. They are dedicated to caring for and managing critically ill pediatric heart patients. This specialized training is now the gold standard for children’s hospitals. By adopting this standard, Norton Children’s…
Lori Lively’s gradual seven-year weight gain after an automobile accident raised her blood pressure, elevated her blood sugar level to diabetic range and worsened an existing heart condition. After the wreck and later, a hysterectomy, Lori’s formerly active lifestyle slowed, and her food choices started affecting her weight. On her petite, 5-foot frame, even a…
The stereotype of the heart failure patient often does not match the reality, which frequently leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment. If you look at epidemiological data, you’d think the heart failure patient is a white male, age 65 or older, who comes in after a heart attack. What we’re finding in Louisville and surrounding…
Lynnwood Butler first noticed issues with his heart on Derby Day in 2013, when hypotension resulted in syncope. Two years later, the Louisville native had a heart attack at the end of his shift waiting on tables. He received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). In 2016 and again in 2018, Lynnwood’s ICD was triggered. “It’s…
The day Keith Drury’s heart stopped, the last thing he remembers is driving to a job site near the Kentucky River. He doesn’t remember going into cardiac arrest, the CPR or the emergency helicopter flight to Norton Brownsboro Hospital, where he was put into a medically induced coma to allow his heart to rest and…