Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1087868
Micra is a small, leadless pacemaker that an electrophysiologist places via catheter directly into a patient's heart. No chest incision is required for implantation, and the device eliminates the possibility of lead-related complications that can occur with conventional pacemakers. Micra is a technology that is changing the way cardiologists at Crouse Health care for patients, but it is not the only example. Another is Watchman, a small device that can reduce the risk of stroke due to atrial fibrillation in patients who cannot tolerate anticoagulation therapy. Implanted during an outpatient, catheter-based procedure, Watchman fits inside the left atrial appendage (LA A), a pouch in the heart where blood may pool and clot in patients with atrial fibrillation, increasing their risk of stroke. Watchman occludes the LA A and has been shown to be as effective as anticoagulation therapy at reducing stroke risk. In 2017, Crouse Health introduced Watchman to Central New York when Drs. Battaglia and Boahene and their Crouse Medical Practice Cardiology partner Matthew Gorman, MD, FACC, became the first cardiologists in Syracuse to implant the device and today perform more of these procedures than any other area hospital. Another example of Crouse Medical Practice Cardiology's embrace of innovative devices is its members' use of Impella, a small heart pump that can ensure blood flow continues during a high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention or when patients experience cardiogenic shock. "Whether cardiogenic shock occurs in the setting of an acute heart attack or severe heart failure in which the heart can't pump effectively to provide blood to the rest of the organs, we can introduce Impella through a sheath in the femoral artery and place it inside the left ventricle, where it does the work of the heart while the organ hea ls," Dr. Ula hannan says. "Impella is fairly new on the medical landscape. I find it amazing that it can support someone who's actively dying." Crouse Hea lth has earned plaudits for its treatment of patients with heart failure. Last year, the AHA awarded the health system its Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for providing excellent care based on national guidelines. POISED TO EXPAND Demand for cardiac services in Central New York is likely to increase in the future, and Crouse Medical Practice Cardiology, with enthusiastic support from Crouse Health's Senior Leadership team, is well positioned to meet it. " I joined Crouse Medical Practice Cardiology from a local hospital in 2016 because of the practice's diversity — we have an excellent mix of established and newer clinicians from a variety of professional backgrounds — and the way we practice medicine. Health care has become disjointed and compartmentalized at so many practices and hospitals, but not here. My partners and I care for patients as one team." — RIYA SUSAN CHACKO, MD, CARDIOLOGIST AT CROUSE MEDICAL PRACTICE CARDIOLOGY 3 Convenient Locations Crouse Medical Practice Cardiology has offices in: Syracuse 739 Irving Ave., Suite 500 Syracuse, NY 13210 East Syracuse 5000 Brittonfield Pkwy, Suite B101 East Syracuse, NY 13057 Clay/Liverpool 8324 Oswego Rd., Suite C Liverpool, NY 13090 Riya Susan Chacko, MD, cardiologist at Crouse Medical Practice Cardiology, and Kwabena A. Boahene, MD, FACC, confer on a patient record. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A L N E W Y O R K ■ 2 019 0 9