Innovative therapy uses freezing to temporarily block signals from nerves in affected area during a cardiothoracic procedure at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – April 25th, 2024 – Nishant Patel, MD, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, is the first physician in Palm Beach County to perform more than 150 minimally invasive heart valve procedures using Cryo Nerve Bloc (cryoNB) therapy to help manage postoperative pain in patients.
Achieving the 150-case milestone makes Dr. Patel the No. 1 user in the county of cryoNB therapy, an innovative non-opioid alternative for pain relief after surgery. Dr. Patel has been using cryoNB therapy at the hospital for approximately 2 ½ years.
The cryoNB technology, which is manufactured by AtriCure, uses a unique freezing method to temporarily block pain signals from nerves in the affected area, producing an effect similar to that of a local anesthetic. The surgeon utilizes a sterile, single-use probe to freeze the nerve at a specific temperature and disable it without damaging its protective structure. This allows the nerve to gradually regrow and the patient to resume normal feeling over several months.
“We are excited to be able to provide our patients with this advanced technique to help manage pain following surgery and potentially enable them to return to their normal daily activities much sooner,” said Libby Flippo, interim CEO of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. “We are proud to support Dr. Patel and all of our outstanding physicians by investing in this state-of-the-art treatment and bringing it to the community we serve.”
Prior to joining Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Dr. Patel was the Chief Resident in the Department of Surgery, Divisions of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He earned his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in the Department of Surgery and served as the Howard Hughes Institute Research Fellow at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine.
Dr. Patel is an expert in minimally invasive valve surgeries in which valve repair and replacement can be safely performed without dividing the sternum. He also performs transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), surgery for atrial fibrillation, and multi-arterial coronary artery bypass grafting. Dr. Patel’s research interests included aortic root operations for Marfan Syndrome, valve-sparing aortic root operations and surgery for heart failure.
For additional information about Cryo Nerve Block therapy at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, call 561-622-1411 or visit: https://www.pbgmc.com/services/cardiovascular and for more info. on Dr. Patel visit – PBHNPhysicianGroup.com
About Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group
Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group, a division of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, is a multi-specialty physician group that has provided care to the Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast communities since 2007. Our award-winning physicians provide a level of expertise that has resulted in regional firsts and outstanding patient outcomes. As an affiliate of the Palm Beach Health Network, one of the largest healthcare networks in Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group specialists, sub-specialists and primary care physicians, and staff, are committed to delivering the highest quality care to the communities we serve. The Palm Beach Health Network consists of Delray Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center, along with various ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities and urgent care centers. All of our hospitals have received prestigious awards and accolades, national rankings and multiple accreditations. We are dedicated to the standards of excellent patient care that are the hallmark of the Tenet brand. At Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group, our mission is to improve the life of every person who enters our doors. Today, we are proud to be one of the most respected physician networks in the area.
