The patient A woman presented to Norton Audubon Hospital with shortness of breath and dizziness and was noted to be in new-onset atrial fibrillation (A-fib). She underwent immediate cardioversion but had recurrent A-fib and then was placed on flecainide with a repeat successful cardioversion. Her echocardiogram showed normal left ventricular function. The providers Kent E….
While endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of aortic aneurysm has expanded over the last 20 years, there are still cases where this minimally invasive procedure has limitations. Using a new type of endograft called fenestrated endografts, surgeons at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute are repairing abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) that are close to the renal or…
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hybrid ablation as a treatment for long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (A-fib), the most severe form of the condition affecting about 45% of A-fib patients. Hybrid ablation treats A-fib in procedures that combine endocardial radiofrequency ablation with epicardial ablation. The ablations create lesions that interrupt the faulty electrical…
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is first in the area to adopt the Lux-DX insertable cardiac monitor technology, which reduces the patient’s need for in-person monitoring. Arrhythmia patients of the institute have begun receiving the Lux-Dx monitor, which allows for wireless transmission of clearer and more reliable signals to the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute…
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…
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…