St. Joseph’s gets to the ‘Heart of the Matter’
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Top Quality Heart and Vascular Care Close to Home
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths. The experts at the St. Joseph’s Health (SJH) Department of Heart and Vascular Services are focused on providing advanced services to prevent and treat a broad spectrum of heart diseases.
The experienced and caring Heart and Vascular Services team of physicians, nurses, residents, technicians, administrators and support staff provide patients with ongoing exceptional and compassionate care. Every member of the health care team stands firm in their dedication to a ‘patients first’ approach to top quality, safe and effective care – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
According to Mark Connolly, MD, Chairman, Department of Surgery, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, “St. Joseph’s prides itself on performing the newest minimally invasive cardiac procedures. When medication and catheter-based treatments cannot relive symptoms, surgery remains the accepted treatment for a range of cardiothoracic conditions, including but not limited to mitral valve prolapsed, atrial septal defect and coronary artery disease.”
“The multidisciplinary care system that the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery has in place, combined with outstanding clinical staff expertise, leading edge technology and minimally invasive and robotic surgical approaches have produced outstanding patient outcomes at St. Joseph’s,” explains Dr. Connolly.
The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery offers procedures including:
Cardiac Surgery
- Minimally Invasive 3-inch Right Thoracotomy AVR
- Minimally Invasive Robotic Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement
- Robotic and Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
- MAZE Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Surgery and Stent Grafts
- Off Pump/Beating Heart Surgery (no heart/lung machine)
- Congenital and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
- Left Ventricular Assist Devices
- Cardiac Surgery for CHF
Thoracic Surgery
- VATS Thoracic Surgery
- Robotic and Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery
- Esophagectomy
- Laparoscopic Repair of Esophageal Reflux
Often care begins with Diagnostic Testing. “St. Joseph’s Division of Cardiology provides a broad spectrum of diagnostic tests that assist physicians in determining whether or not a patient has heart or vascular disease,” states Dr. Connolly. “These tests can show if the disease has progressed and guide treatment that is suited to the needs of the individual. Our interdisciplinary team of compassionate cardiovascular experts use the latest technology and procedures to pinpoint the nature and scope of cardiovascular issues,” he says.
Diagnostic tests, most of which are available at both St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ, and St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center in Wayne, NJ, can be performed on an outpatient basis and will not require an overnight stay. These include:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Holter monitor (24 hour EKG)
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- Cardiac event recording
- Stress testing
- Cardiac nuclear stress testing
- Pharmacological stress testing (Dobutamine, Persantine)
- Echocardiogram
- Transesophageal echocardiography
- Pediatric echocardiography
- Transtelephonic pacemaker monitoring
- Electrophysiology studies
- Cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization interventional procedures are available to help treat an array of diagnoses such as blocked arteries, hypertension, leg pain or claudication. Interventional procedures include Balloon Angioplasty, Stent placement and Peripheral Angiograms. Most interventions are performed as same day procedures, allowing patients to return home later that day. In addition, the Cardiac Catheterization Labs at both St. Joseph’s University Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center offer Carotid Artery Stenting, an effective treatment to prevent stroke for patients with carotid artery blockage, as an alternative treatment for high surgical-risk patients.
“Nationally recognized for peak performance and leading edge health care, patients can be assured that the Heart and Vascular experts at St. Joseph’s Health will provide them with top quality heart care in the most advanced way,” adds Dr. Connolly.
April 7, 2015
