Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare - (Page 49)

SPOTLIGHT ON: ST. CATHERINE HOSPITAL State-of-the-Art Heart Care New options for cardiac care help high-risk patients W hen 94-year-old James Moore was transported from his East Chicago home to the St. Catherine Hospital Emergency Room, his daughter Ethel wasn’t sure what was happening. “He said his side was hurting and he was in a lot of pain,” she says. “So we called the ambulance.” Upon arriving at the hospital, Moore was immediately diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by cardiologist Pastor Llobet, M.D. Through many years of advanced training, Llobet has been providing successful AAA repair using a very specialized, minimally invasive endovascular procedure. WHAT IS AAA? A vascular disease, AAA occurs when a weak area of the abdominal aorta expands or bulges (pressure from blood ﬂowing through the abdominal aorta causes the weakened part to bulge like a balloon). Cardiologist Pastor Llobet, M.D., has been providing successful AAA repair using a very specialized, minimally invasive endovascular procedure during his more than 20 years at St. Catherine Hospital. “The traditional technique for repair of AAA requires a large abdominal incision, a ﬁve-to-seven-day hospital stay and a four-to-six-week recovery period,” explains Llobet. “By comparison, patients who can beneﬁt from an endovascular repair are often discharged the day after the procedure and typically don’t require intensive care. These patients are able to return to their normal lifestyle within two weeks.” Endovascular repair has been proven to result in lower morbidity—no abdominal surgical incision translates into less pain, reduced complications and a faster recovery— plus lower mortality rates than those reported for open surgical repair, says Llobet. CALL ACTING FAST “The most common treatment for a large, unruptured aneurysm is open surgical repair,” Llobet explains. “We immediately brought Mr. Moore to the cardiac cath lab and discovered a rupture of the abdominal aorta and iliac artery. Once an abdominal aortic aneurysm has ruptured, the chance of survival is very low; 80–90 percent of all ruptured aneurysms result in death. Considering Mr. Moore’s age and the fact that he was actively bleeding, the decision was made to control the bleeding with a balloon and proceed with an endograft repair of the aneurysm. “Once both of the iliac arteries were closed, our patient was sent to ICU,” Llobet says. “Two days later he was transferred to the medical ﬂoor. In four days he started rehab and in three weeks Mr. Moore walked out of the hospital. This type of repair is deﬁ nitely a safer, more prudent approach for high-risk patients who may not be able to tolerate the traditional open method of repair,” he says. The abdominal aorta supplies blood to the lower part of the body. In the abdomen just below the navel, the aorta splits into two branches, called the right and left iliac arteries, which carry blood into each leg. Get Heart Healthy Striving to always provide the latest, noninvasive and minimally invasive diagnostic procedures available in Northwest Indiana, the Cardiovascular Service Center at St. Catherine Hospital offers comprehensive services, programs and patient education. Call 219-392-7992 for more information. SPRI NG 2013 49

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare
Community Message
Community Briefs
Winner’s Circle
No Place Like Home
Sowing the Seeds of Good Health
Sowing the Seeds of Good Health
You’re the Star
Heart-to-Heart
Lighten Up!
Have No Fear
Work It!
Diane Keaton
What Are the Chances?
9 Symptoms Never to Ignore
When Allergies Attack
Virtual Health
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Catherine Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON: Community Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Mary Medical Center
Care You Can Count On
Act Fast!

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare