MDNews - Greater Kansas

Hospital St. Francis. In fact, TAVR pro- cedures first brought the team together. "Without laying the groundwork like this, we wouldn't be in a position to adopt other technologies as they are developed," says Brett Grizzell, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon on the structural heart team. "The development of this team makes Wichita a leader in medical care and helps us avoid having to send patients on to some other location farther away." MitraClip Treatment for Mitral Valve Regurgitation The MitraClip device, approved by the FDA in October 2013, is the first to allow mitral valve repair to be performed with a catheter. Much like the TAVR procedure, the MitraClip procedure is reserved for patients with specific indications, Dr. Chehab says. It has been approved for those who have mitral valve leakage and who also have prohibitive surgical risk for traditional mitral valve surgery. Until this device was approved, all mitral valve repair was done via open- heart surgery. Abbott Laboratories, developer of the MitraClip device, has designated Via Christi as the only MitraClip center in Kansas. "We have the proper infrastructure to enable us to be chosen to get next-gener- ation devices early on," says Dr. Chehab. "We had to have an active TAVR program, and the team and infrastructure had to be in place. How the team worked together was closely examined." "The team is working to identify poten- tial patients for MitraClip procedures," says David Havey, MD, an anesthesiologist with the team. The first MitraClip proce- dure at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis is expected to be performed sometime in late spring. LARIAT Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation Traditional treatment for patients who have atrial fibrillation with risk of stroke includes anticoagulant drugs such as Pradaxa and others. However, explains Dhaval Parikh, MD, an electrophysiologi- cal cardiologist, some of those patients can't tolerate the anticoagulants and may experience side effects such as a gastrointestinal bleed. About 90 percent of the time in patients with a-fib, clots form in the left atrial appendage. They can slip out, travel to the brain and cause stroke. These patients do have surgical options, but that is much more painful and invasive than the LARIAT procedure, Dr. Parikh says. In the procedure, two small wires, each with a tiny magnet on the end, are carefully guided into place. One is placed inside the heart, the other outside the heart. They catch and allow a small lasso to be deployed and wrapped around the top of the left atrial appendage. The lasso is then closed, effectively sealing off the appendage, preventing blood clots from breaking loose and entering the bloodstream. "The procedure eliminates that par- ticular cause of stroke," Dr. Parikh says. "It requires only two small holes, and the patient doesn't require sutures after the procedure is complete." The LARIAT procedure allows these patients to stop using blood thinners without increasing their risk of stroke. Putting Wichita on the Nationwide Healthcare Map "Getting approved to perform LARIAT procedures at Via Christi is testimony to how the structural cardiology program is viewed nationwide," Dr. Chehab says. "The team has really put Wichita on the national radar for new technologies related to structural cardiology." The development of so many new technologies requires that specialists who haven't worked together much in the past come together for the best patient outcomes. "What we are seeing in 2014 is spe- cialties coming together to do work that requires them to collaborate in ways they never have before," says Sanjay Khicha, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon on the team. "This collaboration of specialists allows the team to determine the best level of care at every step of the process — leading up to the procedure, during the procedure and when provid- ing follow-up care." Candidates for these procedures are most often evaluated through the Heart Valve Clinic at Via Christi. "Our work in the clinic is to move the patients through the system as seamlessly as possible," says Richard Allenbach, PA-C, Director of the Heart Valve Clinic. "We have fostered an environment of collaboration in the structural heart program, making this truly a team effort in patient care. "Ever y member of the team has a carefully defined role, and it is very much a cooperative effort to take care of these patients." S h e r r y H a u s m a n n , S e n i o r Administrator for Hospital Operations at Via Christi, concurs: " To have a team of very talented physicians come together and work together, all focused on what approach is best for each patient individually, is outstanding for our patients," she says. "Our record of positive outcomes for our structural heart patients is witness to the success of our program. The patient's outcome is the most important thing." For m or e in f or m a t i on a b o u t th e structural heart program at Via Christi, call the Heart Valve Clinic at Via Christi at 316-268-8650. ■ Sherry Hausmann, Senior Administrator for Hospital Operations at Via Christi SPECI A L FE AT UR E 1 0 | Greater Kansas MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M

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