@ BREATHING: BY THE NUMBERS
15 to 20 How often a person at rest breathes each minute.
Today
20,000+ The number of times we breathe in a day.
7million+
How many breaths we take in a year. Source: American Lung Association
FALL 2015
Feeling breathless? WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION You climb a flight of stairs, and you can’t…quite…catch your breath. Most of us know the feeling. “But if routine activities frequently leave you winded, tell your doctor right away,” urges Martin O’Riordan, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. Troubled breathing is never normal. And it might be a sign of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a very serious disease.
Live a longer, healthier life Not long ago, PH was often a deadly condition. “But now it can be controlled,” Dr. O’Riordan says. “There is still no cure, but new treatments are helping people live longer, healthier lives.” — Continued on page 2
IN THIS ISSUE
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WELCOME, DR. WENGER New Cardiothoracic Surgery Chief
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THE HEART OF OUR CARE Teamwork makes the difference
SHORT OF BREATH? Our team can help you know what you can do to breathe easier. For an appointment, call 484.494.4752.
Short of breath? —Continued from page 1 And the sooner treatment starts, the easier it is to manage the disease. That’s why Mercy Fitzgerald has launched a new program to help quickly diagnose it. Anyone with unexplained shortness of breath can now be evaluated for PH here with a simple test.
“New treatments are helping people live longer, healthier lives.” —Martin O’Riordan, MD
What is pulmonary hypertension? PH is a type of high blood pressure. It occurs in the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your lungs. Over time, it can strain the heart and cause shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue. And it can be caused by many different things—from heart valve problems to blood clots in the lung. What’s more, it’s often tricky to diagnose. That’s because its symptoms can mimic those of other heart and lung problems. The diagnostic test offered at Mercy Fitzgerald and Mercy Philadelphia Hospital is an echocardiogram. In addition, a cardiopulmonary bicycle test can help determine the causes of shortness of breath. “It helps make diagnoses easier by showing how both the heart and lungs handle exercise,” says Colleen Sheridan, a respiratory therapist who conducts it. And it’s simple to perform: Patients work out on a stationary bike as part of the test. “It’s a safe and effective way to find out why someone isn’t breathing well,” Colleen says. Let our team help you breathe easier. Call 484.494.4752.
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Keeping the rhythm ADVANCED TREATMENT IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR COMPLEX HEART DISORDERS Correcting an abnormal heartbeat is no simple task. Not when you have to find and fix electrical short circuits deep within the heart. It’s a type of care you might expect to find only at a medical center that’s hours away. But the good news is you’ll find it right here—just around the corner at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. We’ve partnered with cardiologists Darius Sholevar, MD, and Devender Akula, MD, and the team at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden. Together we provide specialty cardiac services to the community through a new electrophysiology lab at Mercy Fitzgerald. One new procedure we offer is ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), an abnormal heartbeat.
How does ablation work? First, doctors feed a catheter through
a leg vein to the heart. Then they use 3-D mapping and live ultrasound pictures to see the area. Next they find the faulty heart tissues causing the irregular rhythm. Finally, they destroy the bad cells with heat, allowing the heart to return to its normal rhythm. “We try to eliminate all of these abnormal electrical signals,” says Dr. Sholevar. The results can be excellent. Ablation often cures AF, he says. This means that many people no longer need medications to control their heart rhythm.
DON’T MISS A BEAT Turn to page 8 to learn more about how heart doctors diagnose and treat rhythm problems at Mercy Fitzgerald.
SAVING LIVES
How stents prevent strokes Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and Penn Heart and Vascular have partnered to bring a lifesaving, nonsurgical procedure right to your neighborhood. It’s called carotid artery stenting. And it can lower the chance of strokes caused by blocked arteries—or carotid artery disease. “Clogged arteries in the neck cause 35 to 45 percent of strokes,” says Alan Moak, MD, a Penn Interventional Cardiologist who performs the procedure at Mercy Fitzgerald. These clogs can be made of fats or blood clots. A stent can clear them without surgery. The minimally invasive procedure involves inserting a catheter into an artery. The thin tube is then threaded up to clear the blockage. Finally a stent—a tiny metal tube—is placed in the blood vessel. “It props up the artery and corrects the blockage,” Dr. Moak says. Carotid artery stenting is done only at select hospitals. And Mercy Fitzgerald is proud to be one. Our patients can get state-of-the-art care, right here in their own neighborhood. “If your doctor says you need carotid artery surgery, ask if you are a candidate for the stent instead,” advises Dr. Moak.
EXPECT EXPERT CARE Find expert cardiac care conveniently close to home. Learn how at mercyhealth.org/services/heart.
AN EASY WAY TO REMEMBER THE SUDDEN SIGNS OF STROKE
FACE Does one side of the face droop? Is it numb? Can they smile? Is the smile uneven?
ARM Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
SPEECH
ROBERT K. WENGER, MD
Can they correctly repeat a simple sentence? Is it slurred or hard to understand?
Meet our new chief of cardiothoracic surgery Expertise. Experience. Effectiveness. When you’re looking for first-class heart care, these are some of the things you want. And you’ll find them all at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital with our cardiac care team and the arrival of new Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Robert K. Wenger, MD. Dr. Wenger, of the Penn Heart and Vascular Network, leads a department that offers a wide range of heart surgeries. Among them: operations to correct abnormal heart rhythms, bypass grafting, and heart valve repair and replacement. He brings 20 years of experience with open-heart surgery. And his specialties include aortic valve disease and high-risk coronary artery disease. “Part of my job is to do as much of the surgery for the people of this community as can be done at Mercy Fitzgerald,” says Dr. Wenger. “At the same time, I have the good sense to refer patients who need more complex surgeries to my partners at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The people here deserve a highquality cardiac surgery program. That’s what we provide.”
F.A.S.T.
TIME Getting to know you: Dr. Wenger Where he’s from: “I’m Philly born and bred!” His interests: Family, sports and the arts. Something about him that might surprise you: He’s a six-time national rowing champion. He once came in fourth at the world championships.
Call 911 immediately, even if the signs go away. Note the time when the first signs appeared. It will help with treatment options.
OTHER STROKE SIGNS Sudden numbness or weakness of a leg. Sudden confusion or trouble understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination. Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
If someone shows any of these signs, call 911 right away. Source: American Stroke Association
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At the heart of our care TEAMWORK, EXPERTISE AND COMPASSION MAKE THE DIFFERENCE AT THE MERCY CARDIAC VALVE CENTER
“It was a complete team effort, from the primary care through to the specialists and then to the surgeon—all working together to try to figure out the problem.” —James Minnella, MD
Sharon Rafter has always appreciated life. And now—thanks to heart valve surgery at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital—she’s even more determined to live it to the fullest. “I don’t want to waste a minute,” she says. At 46, Sharon’s had her share of health challenges. Twice she’s beaten cancer. And in 2014, with the help of the expert team at Mercy Fitzgerald’s Cardiac Valve Center, she successfully had major surgery to repair and replace faulty heart valves. Sharon had been living with heart problems for years. And doctors weren’t certain of their cause. At first she tolerated her condition. But when Sharon became increasingly short of breath, she went to her trusted cardiologist, Mercy physician Peter Correnti, DO, who sent her to the Valve Center. It was a step she was glad she took. “They were completely focused on me,” Sharon says. “That was the best feeling. They wanted to do what was best for my health.”
A team you can trust The Valve Center was created to provide specialty care for patients with valve disease. “Many people are unfamiliar with this type of heart disease, but it is actually very common,” says Cardiologist Richard Hunn, MD, the center’s medical director. Some people are born with it. “Often, though, it’s a disease of aging or caused by another medical problem,” he says. The valves are like doors that regulate blood flow through the heart’s four chambers, says Dr. Hunn. Sometimes the doors don’t close tightly. This allows blood to leak backward—one of the most common heart valve conditions— known as regurgitation. Another common valve problem is stenosis. This is a complication with the way the valve opens. It’s often caused by calcium buildup, which prevents blood from getting through the valve.
What to watch for Sometimes doctors will detect irregular blood flow with a stethoscope, but the patient won’t have experienced any problems. Other times symptoms suggest trouble. The symptoms can be as vague as fatigue and shortness of breath—and easy to blame on aging. But since they can also be signs of valve trouble—as can chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting spells—they should be evaluated. The experts at the Valve Center investigate symptoms, assess potential treatments if valve disease
HEART VALVES: BY THE NUMBERS
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The number of heart valves in the body
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Percentage of the U.S. population with a valve problem
2.5%
Navigating a heart condition When you choose Mercy’s Cardiac Valve Center, you’ll find a team of experts dedicated to providing you with the best possible care—including a cardiologist, a cardiothoracic surgeon, a nurse practitioner and a valve navigator. Each member of the team will work with you to provide exceptional care and help you understand the best treatment options available to you. And to guide you through it all, Mercy’s Cardiac Valve Navigator will be with you all the way. The navigator can help you with such details as: •• Making appointments •• Arranging transportation •• Answering questions
Sharon Rafter
“I’ve been through a lot, but God’s been with me the whole way.” —Sharon Rafter
is diagnosed, and guide patients through what can be challenging times. (See “Navigating a Heart Condition” at right.) “We really try to work with patients through the process,” says Dr. Hunn. On rare occasions when people might benefit from services not offered at Mercy Fitzgerald, the team collaborates with Penn Heart and Vascular physicians.
85,000
Annual number of discharges for valvular heart disease from U.S. hospitals Source: American Heart Association
Getting back to life After hearing her options, Sharon chose to have surgery. Valve Center Surgeon Steven Weiss, MD, cleared calcium from two valves and replaced a third. Within three months, she was back to work in the office of James Minnella, MD, a Mercy provider who also serves as Sharon’s personal physician. And now she’s able to do anything—without getting short of breath, and with a strong heart, figuratively and literally. It’s gratifying for Dr. Minnella to see how well she’s doing—and to know what the expertise of the Valve Center
and working together can accomplish. “When you have a good team, including an excellent cardiologist and a superb surgeon, with primary care supporting the whole thing, it makes it so much easier and it leads to a better outcome,” he says. Sharon is grateful too—for the love and concern of her family and coworkers that helped her get through everything and all those who made it possible. “I’ve been through a lot,” she says, “but God’s been with me the whole way. I know He’s on my side. And,” she adds, “the doctors were terrific too.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT HEART VALVE CARE Find out how the Mercy Cardiac Valve Center can help you. Visit mercyhealth.org/services/heart/heart-valve-center. mercyhealth.org
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3 services for better health Mercy Home Health offers a wide range of services, including:
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Skilled nursing. A nurse will assess your health, provide treatment and education after a hospital stay, or assist you in managing a chronic condition such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure.
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Physical therapy. Most home health patients benefit from therapy to help them get stronger after an illness or surgery. A physical therapist can help you use equipment—such as a cane or walker—that may have been issued in the ER.
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Occupational therapy. Therapists can help you adjust to a health condition by teaching you new ways of doing daily activities at home—for example, after a stroke, a surgery or any other condition that affects your ability to be independent with dressing, bathing and food preparation.
After the ER LET MERCY HOME HEALTH BE THERE FOR YOU Have you recently had to visit the emergency room? Maybe you have a chronic health problem that took a sudden turn for the worse. Or an injury or illness that caught you by surprise. Nobody ever wants to go to the ER—or keep going back. So it’s good to know about home health options that could help treat your health condition, says Ruth Martynowicz, Vice President of Operations at Mercy Home Health. Home care isn’t just for people who’ve been to the ER or admitted to the hospital, Ruth points out. It can help those who may have gone to the emergency room and— after receiving care—have been discharged home. “Going home after being in the ER or hospital can be quite scary,” she says. “Home health can provide the support needed to feel safe, secure and properly kick off the healing process.”
A little-known option Many people may qualify for home health. But patients and their doctors don’t always think about it.
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More @ Mercy Fall 2015
“This is an option many people might not know that they have access to,” Ruth says. “It really can give you more confidence in your ability to manage your health,” she says. For example, with Mercy Home Health, a nurse, therapist or other expert might visit a couple times a week to: •• Check on your health •• Teach you about your condition and how to control it •• Help you organize and manage your medications •• Help care for a wound •• Coordinate your care among all your doctors and specialists •• Assess the risks of falls and other safety issues at home
COULD HOME HEALTH HELP YOU? Find out by experiencing the high quality of care that the Mercy Home Health team provides. To learn more, call 1.888.690.2551 or visit mercyhomehealth.org.
LIVE WELL WITH DIABETES
Eat healthy and be merry Are visions of sugar plums dancing in your head? There’s no doubt that the holidays are a deliciously tempting time of year. But life with diabetes means you must keep a close eye on your diet. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t savor the festivities along with everyone else. Just follow these tips to keep you—and your blood sugar numbers—on a merry track. Plan ahead. Heading to a holiday get-together? Offer to bring your favorite healthy side dish. And have a small snack before you go. That way you won’t be overly hungry or tempted to overeat when you get there. Pick and choose. Take a look at all the dishes offered. Choose just a few things you really want to try and take reasonable portions of each. If you want to sample everything, just a little of each. For refreshment, aim to sip water rather than calorie-filled drinks. And try to put some distance between you and the buffet. You might move to another room to visit with friends and family, where you’ll be less tempted to snack the night away. Put your walking shoes on. Make time to exercise every day. If you overindulge, head outside after your meal for an extra bit of walking to help work it off.
HEALTH STARTS AT HOME Diabetes self-management is just one of Mercy Home Health’s many programs for an all-around healthier you. Our expert team delivers care throughout the five-county Philadelphia area. To learn more, call 1.888.690.2551.
Hope for the holidays 5 WAYS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR SPIRITS Another holiday season is here. But you may be feeling less than jolly—and not especially in the mood to be merry. Depending on your circumstances, the times of year that are joyful to others may be the times that are most difficult for you. So what can you do to navigate them? Here are five ways to keep your spirits up throughout the holiday season. Share your feelings. Call a friend, family member or pastor and be honest about how you’re doing. For example, you might let them know: “I’m feeling sad, because this is the first Thanksgiving without my partner.” Keep it low-key. Have you been invited to a party? Consider attending for a shorter time than usual. Let the host know that you may leave quietly and a little early. Try something different. Go out to eat instead of cooking that big holiday meal. Try new holiday recipes, activities or destinations. You’ll be making new memories at the same time. Make someone’s day. You might visit a relative who is sick, help wrap Christmas gifts for Toys for Tots or volunteer at a local organization, for instance. Take care of you. Treat yourself right, with plenty of sleep, exercise and nutritious food. And pamper yourself with a haircut, a massage or a pedicure. Finally, if you find yourself feeling worthless or helpless—or with ongoing feelings of sadness— pay attention. These are signs of more serious depression. Reach out to a professional for help.
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READY TO QUIT SMOKING?
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Harrisburg, PA Permit No. 66
Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania 1 W. Elm St., Suite 100 Conshohocken, PA 19428-4108
Free Smoking & Tobacco Cessation Classes Nov. 4, 11, 18 and Dec. 2, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Sister Marie Lenahan Wellness Center Community Room Registration is required. Call 610.237.4192 to register.
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MFH
Get back in sync HELPING YOUR HEART FIND THE RIGHT RHYTHM If your heart skipped a beat or fluttered in your chest when you were young, you might have called it love. Later in life, you might call it trouble. Irregular heartbeats can be a sign that your heart’s electrical system is not working the way it should. Cardiologist Marino Leonardi, MD, explains how Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital’s new electrophysiology (EP) lab can help treat offbeat rhythms.
AND FIND A DOCTOR Need a primary care physician? Call 1.877.GO MERCY (1.877.466.3729) and we’ll find the perfect match for you. MORE @ MERCY is published as a community service for the friends and patrons of Mercy Health System. Information in MORE @ MERCY comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your healthcare provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. If you would like to stop receiving this publication, please email IAtMercy@ mercyhealth.org. 2015 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. CUN31546
Q
Mercy Cardiologist Marino Leonardi, MD
What’s an EP study? Answer It’s one of the best ways to look at how the cardiac electrical system functions. Catheters are put into a blood vessel and then moved to the heart. From there, we can determine if there is a slow, rapid or irregular heartbeat and pinpoint the problem.
Q
What is an arrhythmia?
Answer It is a disturbance of
the heart’s rhythm that causes an abnormal beat. Some arrhythmias may cause palpitations or a fast heartbeat, others may cause fainting spells. Electrophysiologists are the experts in managing arrhythmias. And the team at Mercy Fitzgerald’s EP lab specializes in treating the abnormal function of the cardiac electrical system.
Q
How does it help?
Answer In people who have
fainting spells, for example, EP may help us determine if these are due to an electrical problem in the heart. And for some rapid heartbeats, we may use radiofrequency ablation to destroy small areas of tissue inside the heart where the problem starts, which alleviates symptoms. Often, a normal heartbeat is restored and medication is no longer needed.
If you experience palpitations, fainting or shortness of breath, check in with your doctor. And be sure to mention any family history of heart problems.