Surgeon Brings Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery to St. Helena MAy / J U N E 2 0 1 3 37 Adventist Heart Institute offers innovat ive new hybrid procedure for Atrial Fibrillat ion Gan Dunnington, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon specializing in treatment of atrial fibrillation, has joined the Adventist Heart Institute at St. Helena Hospital. One of only a few surgeons on the West Coast to perform the minimally invasive Hybrid Maze procedure, Dr. Dunnington looks forward to helping patients restore normal heart function. “This procedure is pretty revolutionary,” Dr. Dunnington explains. “By combining two different approaches, we’re able to treat the heart in new ways, from the inside and the outside at the same time, without opening the chest. Patients get better outcomes than with either approach alone, without extended recovery time.” Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an electrical disorder of the heart that causes an irregular and often rapid heart rate. The condition can be caused by high blood pressure or abnormal heart valves, while other patients have no apparent cause. Symptoms of AF can be debilitating, and include heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness. Left untreated, AF can lead to stroke and heart failure. Traditional methods of eliminating AF involve either open surgery, or inserting a catheter through the groin and threading up to the heart to destroy the electrical short-circuits. The Hybrid Maze procedure, which is performed in stages, uses elements of both. In Stage I, small lighted instruments are introduced through four tiny incisions on either side of the chest, and used to create lesions on the outside of the heart. The resulting scar tissue blocks the electrical short circuits causing the irregular heart rhythm. The operation, which takes about two-and-a-half hours followed by a hospital stay of three to four days, can be up to ninety percent effective for some types of AF. If Stage I doesn’t adequately control the AF, a specially trained cardiologist or electrophysiologist will perform Stage II, a minimally invasive catheter ablation. During the procedure, the electrophysiologist creates more scar lines in the upper chambers of the inside of the heart. The combined procedure allows each specialty to ablate areas of the heart that are best suited to their different approaches, benefiting patients with higher success rates and fewer complications. The introduction of the Hybrid Maze procedure continues the St. Helena Hospital’s tradition of striving to be at the forefront of developments in cardiac surgery. From the inception of its first destination cardiac surgery program in 1975, to the first-ever North Bay area deployment of the Impella heart pump in 2012, St. Helena Hospital has taken a pioneering role in cardiac medicine in Northern California. Among other accomplishments, it was the first to offer “off pump” coronary cardiac bypass surgery and endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms. That history of innovation and leadership now allows patients of the Adventist Heart Institute—St. Helena Hospital Napa Valley to benefit from access to the region’s mosthonored doctors and specialists, the latest technologies and equipment, a five-star catheterization lab, and the highest level of care. “Dr. Dunnington’s arrival, as one of the few physicians in the country qualified to perform this procedure, is a major win for St. Helena Hospital and our patients,” says Terry Newmyer, Northern California Network president and CEO. “Dr. Dunnington and the Hybrid Maze procedure are a major step forward in our goal to be a center of innovation in cardiac care.” Dr. Dunnington has been a leader in cardiothoracic surgery, including CABG and valves, for several years, previously serving as an assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Assistant Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at El Camino Hospital, a Stanford University affiliate. He has performed more than 75 procedures of this type. “I’m very excited to be expanding my practice to Adventist Heart Institute at St. Helena Hospital,” says Dr. Dunnington. “I have a large patient base in the Bay Area, and about half my existing practice is within a 100-mile radius of the hospital.” He notes that he and his wife and children love the Napa Valley and look forward to calling the valley home. To learn more about the new Arrhythmia Center at the Adventist Heart Institute, visit the website at www.AdventistHeart.org or call 855-222- 2342. 10 Woodland Road, St. Helena 707.963.3611 ADVERTorial feature
NVLife_MayJune_2013
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