.jpg)
Innovation, expertise and compassion are among the reasons why patients from across the United States, Latin America and Caribbean turn to Cleveland Clinic in Florida for life-saving cardiac treatment options.“We are unique in Florida because we can address heart failure, cardiothoracic surgery, endocarditis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and more,” said Jose Navia, M.D., Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Florida.
As an example, for patients suffering from cardiogenic shock, time is of the essence. This life-threatening condition, which is commonly caused by a heart attack, occurs when a person’s heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the body’s needs.
With the help of a mechanical assistive device, physicians at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital are able to give patients time. Dr. Navia explains that this temporary support helps the heart maintain a normal pressure and blood flow until the patient can receive a permanent device or a heart transplant.
“This gives us the ability to treat very sick patients,” said Dr. Navia. “They need to have this support because the heart is so weak. This will help keep the patient alive.”
In addition to these mechanical assistive devices, physicians at the Heart and Vascular Institute can also repair or replace aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves using minimally invasive surgery.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) allows physicians to replace the aortic valve via a catheter inserted in the groin. They can also treat mitral regurgitation in a similar manner, first inserting a small device into a vein in the groin and then threading it to the heart, where it clips the mitral valve. These minimally invasive approaches reduce the recovery time for patients, many of which remain in the clinic for only a day before going home.
The team can also treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle. This can make it more difficult to pump blood and can lead to symptoms like chest pain, fainting or shortness of breath, especially during or just after exercise. Dr. Navia explains that surgeons at Weston Hospital can resect part of that muscle to reduce the obstruction on the heart. Weston Hospital has been designated a Center of Excellence by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA), making it only the second organization in Florida to earn this designation.
“The Heart and Vascular Institute can provide most of the procedures that patients need,” said Dr. Navia.
