Health care: cardiovascular

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Penn Presbyterian Medical Center named “50 Top Cardiovascular Hospital”

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) has been named as one of the nation’s “50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals” by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the Healthcare Business of Thomson Reuters.

The 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals annual report identifies the nation's top hospitals performing cardiovascular services, selected from more than 1,000 hospitals across the country.

The honor recognizes PPMC’s consistent leadership and quality in cardiology and cardiac surgery. Penn Presbyterian is recognized for expertise in:

Complex arrhythmia management
Interventional cardiology
Noninvasive cardiology and cardiac imaging
Preventive cardiology
Vascular medicine and endovascular therapy
Women's heart health

For more than a century, Penn Heart and Vascular at PPMC has provided outstanding health care services. Penn Presbyterian's cardiac care teams work together to diagnose, treat and prevent a wide range of cardiac conditions. In addition to heart operations, PPMC’s cardiovascular surgeons also perform coronary artery bypass in high-risk patients, complex aortic surgery, heart valve repair and minimally invasive robotic-assisted cardiac surgery.

According to Harvey Waxman, MD, chief of cardiology at PPMC, the staff adheres to a process of continuous improvement to reduce surgical complications. Even though the wound infection rate has been below 1 percent for the past several years, the staff wants to do better. “Our goal is zero,” Waxman says.

For information about Penn Heart and Vascular at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, or to request an appointment, visit PennMedicine.org or call 800-789-PENN (7366).

Remove Unwanted Varicose Veins with the New VNUS Closure Procedure

Approximately 25 million Americans suffer from venous disease, a condition that causes varicose veins and other painful symptoms. Penn Medicine is pleased to offer the new VNUS Closure^® procedure, a minimally invasive alternative for patients with superficial venous reflux, which is an underlying cause of varicose veins.

In the VNUS Closure procedure, physicians close diseased veins and re-route blood to healthier veins. It provides relief from painful symptoms and results in less bruising than traditional vein stripping surgery and laser treatment. Patients typically can return to normal activities within a day or two after the outpatient procedure, which is covered by most health insurance providers. Please speak with a health care provider to learn more and discuss eligibility.

Attend a vein screening at Penn Medicine to see if you are a candidate for the VNUS Closure^® procedure
Learn More about Varicose Veins

Penn Cardiology Now in Somers Point

World-class heart care is now available in a new South Jersey location. Penn Medicine’s new cardiology practice in Somers Point Brings some of the region’s most renowned heart specialists to the residents of southeastern Atlantic and northern Cape May counties. The physicians at Penn Cardiology Somers Point offer the highest level of cardiac care with access to the expertise, resources and research available only from Penn Medicine.

The full range of cardiovascular services available at Penn Cardiology Somers Point includes:

Consultative cardiology
Echocardiography
Long-term electrocardiographic monitoring
MUGA scans (heart function assessment)
Stress echocardiography
Stress and pharmacologic nuclear stress testing
Vascular testing

Practicing cardiologists at Penn Cardiology Somers Point:

See a full list of Penn Cardiology community locations

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Penn cardiac physician, please call 800-789-PENN.

Preventive Cardiovascular Program: Stopping Heart Disease Before it Starts

Penn’s Preventive Cardiovascular Program seeks to prevent the onset, recurrence and progression of heart and vascular disease. The multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses and dietitians provides patients with personalized preventive care. The team partners with patients to identify cardiovascular risks and develop customized plans of action that fit their lifestyle. To schedule a cardiovascular risk assessment, please call 800-789-PENN (7366).

Learn more about Penn Medicine's Preventive Cardiovascular Program

Penn Cardiac Care Mercer Bucks: Keeping Women's Hearts Healthy

Nearly 500,000 women die of cardiovascular disease each year, according to the American Heart Association. To help women in the community stay heart-healthy and defy this statistic, Penn Cardiac Care Mercer Bucks offers the Women’s Heart Health Program. Dedicated to the unique heart health needs of women, the program provides free screening for cardiovascular disease, comprehensive risk assessment, risk management, cardiac diagnostic evaluation, ongoing education and individualized treatment plans designed to help women achieve healthy lifestyles. To schedule a free cardiovascular disease screening, please call 215-860-3344.

Learn more about the Women’s Heart Health Program at Mercer Bucks

New Alternative to Open-Heart Surgery for Severe Aortic Stenosis

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a promising new procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis, a disease of the aortic valve. The aortic valve is one of four heart valves and acts as the gateway that allows blood to exit the heart and travel to the aorta and rest of the body.

As people get older, the incidence of aortic stenosis significantly increases. Older patients also commonly suffer from other conditions in addition to aortic stenosis, putting them at higher risk for complications during or after heart valve surgery, the standard treatment for valve replacement.

Until recently, patients with severe aortic stenosis who were deemed too high risk for open-heart surgery did not have many other treatment options, but that’s all changing with TAVR. As a less invasive treatment approach, TAVR involves replacing the damaged valve with a newly designed balloon-expandable valve.

The valve is placed via a catheter that is inserted through a small incision in the leg. For patients with damaged valves who were previously ineligible for valve replacement, this means new hope.

Penn Heart and Vascular was the first program in the region and one of only 23 in the nation to perform TAVR. With more than 300 procedures performed to date, Penn’s highly specialized heart team has more experience performing TAVR than anywhere else in the region.

Learn more about Penn's Heart Valve Disease Program

5 tips to prevent heart disease

February is National Heart Month. Heart disease, the number one killer of adult men and women in the United States, includes coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and congenital heart disease. Despite its prevalence, there are ways to reduce the risk for heart disease. In fact, the best defense against heart disease is a commitment to a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Take these steps to help prevent heart disease:

Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to become healthier and reduce the risk for heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, all it takes is 30 minutes a day, five days a week to reap the positive benefits of exercise for the heart.

Don’t smoke or use tobacco
Tobacco negatively impacts every organ in the body, but it is particularly harmful for the cardiovascular system. The chemicals in tobacco smoke increase the risk of atherosclerosis and can damage the heart. For people struggling to quit, Penn’s Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Program can help them curb the habit safely and comfortably.

Eat right
Maintaining a healthy diet is easier said than done for most people, but it is crucial for a healthy heart. Eating properly protects the heart from disease, controls blood pressure and prevents type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

Maintain a healthy weight
Obesity is an epidemic in this country with more than one third of adults qualifying as obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity is linked to many diseases including heart disease. For people who cannot manage their weight through exercise and diet, weight loss surgery may be a good option. Learn more about the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program, which offers multidisciplinary care and the latest surgical procedures to help patients reach and maintain their weight loss goals.

Get regular health screenings
Regular health screenings are important to identify potential health issues before they become problematic. For many conditions, early detection improves the chances for more effective treatment or even a cure. The CDC recommends several suggested health checkups.