Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1508571
Health Matters: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center | 3 E xcellent patient care relies on two guiding principles: employing a dedicated staff that goes above and beyond to provide the best service possible, and embracing a culture of innovation that strives to be at the forefront of new medical technology and procedures. Vahram Ornekian, MD, embodies these two pillars of service, and he recently achieved a huge milestone in innovative patient care at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. One of a small handful of surgeons in Los Angeles County to be board certified in both cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, Dr. Ornekian performed a first-of-its-kind procedure to repair a bulge or tear in the body 's largest and most important artery, the thoracic aorta. When a patient suffers from an aortic aneurysm, a bulge occurs in the wall of the aorta, which carries blood and oxygen from the heart to the body. If not detected and repaired, it can lead to an aortic dissection, causing a tear or a larger, life-threatening rupture in the artery, also known as a stroke. The new procedure is called a thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The doctor successfully places a thoracic branch endoprosthesis (TBE), otherwise known as stents or implantable tubes, into the vessel, allowing blood to keep flowing past the damaged portions of the aorta, reducing the risk of stroke and paralysis. The innovative TEVAR procedure allows the surgeon to repair the valve located in the thoracic area of your chest using minimally invasive techniques, sparing the patient from a chest incision and longer recovery. "Prior to the availability of the new technology for this type of issue, we would have done an open surgery with a huge chest incision," says Dr. Ornekian. "Now it just requires a puncture at the groin and a tiny puncture at the left wrist to insert a thin wire and deploy the device, allowing us to seal the aorta with a stent while maintaining blood flow to the left arm, the left side of the brain and the spinal cord. "It's a game changer, and the patient may be discharged as soon as 24 hours after the surgery." As excited as he and the entire cardiovascular team were to use the new TBE device, Dr. Ornekian believes this is just the start of what will become a routine procedure that promises to improve patient experience, patient outcome and, most importantly, overall patient care. At the Leading Edge of Patient Care New device used to repair aortic aneurysm, a first in the San Fernando Valley