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SL_HealthDept_0119FINAL_Layout 1 1 / 15 / 19 1 : 43 PM Page 1 health Never Miss a Beat Area medical centers adopt pioneering therapies to mend the human heart . By Jill Lupine | | Only from the heart | | can you touch the sky . The Persian poet , scholar , and theologian Rumi was full of such pearls of wisdom , and in this one he touches on a universal truth : The heart , both literally and figuratively , is a force of nature . In the literal sense , the heart is among the strongest and most vital organs , but it’s also imperfect and vulnerable to disease . Because of genetics , lifestyle choices , and the simple passing of time , the heart often needs some TLC . From stress tests to transplants , the Greater Philadelphia Area can lay claim to some of the most advanced heart programs in the country . What’s more , patients who used to have to travel from the suburbs into the city for world - class care can now benefit from exceptional treatment much closer to home . In many cases , the path to a healthier heart can be accomplished through mini - mally invasive means — meaning patients can regain their quality of life more quickly , often with less time spent in the operating room . A few examples : MitraClip therapy is a minimally invasive • option for individuals with a common heart valve disease known as mitral regurgitation , in which the heart’s mitral valve does not close tightly , allowing blood to flow backward into the heart . The condition can cause fatigue , shortness of breath , and other symptoms that hamper an individual’s quality of life , as well as put him or her at risk for heart failure and stroke . With this therapy , a small device is guided into place with a catheter and then SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2019 24 |
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SL_HealthDept_0119FINAL_Layout 1 1 / 15 / 19 1 : 43 PM Page 2 attached to the flaps of the mitral valve to help it close more completely , thereby restoring normal blood flow and improving heart func - tion . MitraClip may be a good option for patients who are not healthy enough to with - stand heart valve replacement surgery . Another minimally invasive procedure , • transcatheter aortic valve replacement ( TAVR ) , is used to treat severe aortic stenosis , a condition in which blood flow is impaired by the narrowing or obstruction of the aortic valve . During a TAVR procedure , a catheter is threaded through a small inci - sion — usually through the chest wall or by way of the femoral artery in the patient’s groin — and into the heart . An artificial heart valve is then implanted to replace the dam - aged one . This , too , may be a safer option for patients who cannot or prefer not to have open - heart surgery . Minimally invasive therapies such as radiofre - • quency ablation and cryoablation can correct atrial fibrillation and other types of irregular heartbeat . An irregular heartbeat can reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood to the body , thereby putting the lungs , brain , and other organs at risk . RF ablation uses a guided catheter to remove scar tissue by way of radio waves , while cryoablation uses coolant delivered by a balloon - based technology to destroy problematic tissue , to restore normal electrical conduction in the heart . Such minimally invasive options aim to help patients recover quickly and without compromise . With each of these minimally invasive procedures , as well as more involved surgeries such as heart transplants , the goal is simple : to get the patient back to normal life ? without missing a beat . Close to Heart The Greater Philadelphia Area should consider itself blessed to have so many fine hospitals and medical centers devoted to caring for the human heart . At the institutions listed below , patients will find various options — surgical , phar - macological , and therapeutic , as well as preventative — to keep their hearts as healthy as possible . Einstein Medical Center Montgomery East Norriton | Einstein.edu / Montgomery Jefferson Heart Institute Multiple area locations | Jefferson.edu Lankenau Heart Institute Multiple area locations | MainLineHealth.org Penn Heart and Vascular Center Philadelphia | PennMedicine.org Richard A . Reif Heart Institute Doylestown | DoylestownHealth.org St . Mary Medical Center Langhorne | StMaryHealthCare.org SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2019 | 25