Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/470290
D ESPITE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVE- M E NTS in the treatment of cardiovascular disease over the past 25 years, heart disease is still the leading killer of both men and women — accounting for one in every four deaths, according to the CDC. In an ongoing effort to make a difference in the communities it serves, Akron General Heart & Vascular Center has been focused on expanding and advancing its services. In the last several months, new physicians, a new hybrid operating room (OR) and new technology-based treatments have been introduced to help in this endeavor. New Physicians "We've really been working on expand- ing our staff over the last year and a half," says Dennis Wright, MD, Akron General's Chief of Vascular Surgery and Executive Medical Director of the Heart & Vascular Center. "We added Dr. Shyam Bhakta who does interventional cardiol- ogy; Dr. Anubhav Garg, a cardiologist who has expertise in cardiomyopathy and structural heart disease; Dr. Jill Zink, a vascular surgeon with expertise in minimally invasive treatment of complex aneurysms; and Dr. Joseph Lahorra, a cardiothoracic surgeon who specializes in coronary artery bypass, valve repair and replacement, and lung resection." Dr. Lahorra has been a Cleveland Clinic cardiothoracic surgeon for over 15 years. He recently joined Akron General's veteran cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Patrick Stocker. Together, they intend to expand minimally invasive heart sur- gery options in Summit County. Dr. Zink is doing the same with vascular surgery. "She's brought some advanced tech- niques taking some of our minimally invasive procedures and almost turning them into percutaneous procedures with incisions that are barely bigger than a centimeter," says Dr. Wright. New Hybrid OR In June 2014, Dr. Wright was one of the first to utilize Akron General's new $2 million hybrid OR. Nine months later, over 200 procedures have been performed there. "A hybrid operating room combines sophisticated imaging systems of a catheter-based interventional lab with the specialized equipment and sterility standards of a traditional operating room," he explains. The advantages are many. The flex- ibility of the OR accommodates both surgical and endovascular procedures — sometimes at the same time — thus reducing a patient's OR time. The hybrid OR's advanced imaging technol- ogy allows for real-time images at the operating table to be integrated with Dennis Wright, MD, is Chief of Vascular Surgery and Executive Medical Director of the Heart & Vascular Center at Akron General. He's shown here in Akron General's hybrid operating room — the first in Summit County. PHOTO © SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON, OH Advancing Heart Care by Robert Janek at Akron General +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ + +++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ HOSPITAL SPOTLIGHT HOSPITA L SPOTLIGHT 1 4 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 5