MDNews - Central New York

cover feAture The heart Group of Syracuse: Providing Advanced, Tailored Cardiac Care By Jennifer Webster With privileges at all five syracuse hospitals, the heart group of syracuse provides rigorously tailored, streamlined care to central neW york patients Who need cardiac electrophysiology services. has already made its mark in Onondaga County and beyond. The practice has offices on James Street and offers general cardiology services, with a natural focus on cardiac electrophysiology, given the advanced training of its physicians. Jamal J. Ahmed, MD, FACC, cardiologist with The Heart Group and Assistant Professor at Upstate Medical University, notes that The Heart Group is the only cardiology practice offering round-the-clock electrophysiology coverage in Central New York. Conditions the physicians treat include coronary and valvular heart disease, diseases of the heart muscle, diseases of the heart's electrical system, heart failure and heart attacks, and sudden cardiac arrest, as well as difficult cases of hypertension and high cholesterol. Stress tests for the detection and follow-up of coronary artery disease; echocardiography, including advanced heart imaging via the esophagus, or transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) from within the heart; cardiac imaging using a special, high-resolution CT scan; and heart rhythm monitoring are a few of the diagnostics used by The Heart Group's doctors. They also place emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias: tachycardias, in which fast, uncoordinated or competing electrical signals occur — sometimes as fibrillations, in which the heart twitches or flutters — and bradycardias, in which slow heartbeats are encountered. Electrophysiology, which offers physicians tools and techniques for identifying, mapping, treating and often curing arrhythmias, has grown in prominence in recent years yet remains an underserved specialty, Dr. Ahmed says. "In a typical city where 60 cardiologists work, only about five or six may be practicing electrophysiology," he says. Nonetheless, electrophysiology is reshaping the cardiac care landscape. "Before the turn of the 21st century, we had few cures available in cardiology," Dr. Ahmed notes. "We could only offer lifelong medications, which achieved some semblance of symptom relief. With the developments in electrophysiology during the past decade, we can now not only treat but also cure many heart conditions and make significant progress in the fight against sudden cardiac death and heart failure. Rates of cure, for example, of over 95 percent for atrial flutter and supraventricular tachycardias and up to 90 percent for atrial fibrillation are now reliably achievable." The spectrum of treatments at The Traian M. Anghel, MD, operates the Stereotaxis remote magnetic navigation system. Heart Group's disposal includes implanting defibrillators and pacemakers, which act to resynchronize the heart rhythm and help some patients avoid transplants. For both fibrillation and tachycardia patients, The Heart Group offers ablation therapy to restore the heart's normal rhythm. For rhythms not amenable to ablation, the practice provides expert management with antiarrhythmic medications. During the past seven years, physicians who today are part of The Heart Group have performed more than 5,000 procedures, according to Traian M. Anghel, MD, FACC, cardiologist with The Heart Group and Assistant Professor at Upstate Medical University. Reliable relationships developed with select local and regional cardiac and vascular surgeons allow the doctors to trust that a high level of care is maintained when they refer their patients for bypass or valve surgery. And with privileges at all of the area's hospitals, Dr. Anghel and Dr. Ahmed can promptly and seamlessly follow up on their patients' postsurgical care. Technological Diversity Working with five hospitals — Crouse Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, Upstate University Hospital, Upstate University Hospital Community Campus and Syracuse VA Medical Center — physicians at The Heart Group are also able to provide patients, who regularly come from up to 100 miles away, with appropriate electrophysiology technology for their conditions. Additionally, The Heart Group has a clinic where it services all brands of cardiac devices. In fact, many out-of-town patients visit The Heart Group specifically for its expertise with the devices, Dr. Anghel says. "Each pacemaker or defibrillator manufacturer covers common ground," he explains, "but on the other hand, each PHOTOS © THe HeART GROuP OF SYRACuSe F OUNDED IN 2011, The Heart Group

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