Outcomes 2019 - Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital BSWHHVH_646_2019 Outcomes JOOMAG MOD | Page 58

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Mitral valve program
Collaborating with the cardiothoracic surgeons
on the medical staff of Baylor Scott & White –
Fort Worth, the mitral valve program’s specialists
treat both degenerative mitral valve disease as
well as functional mitral valve conditions. Other
patients may present with:
• Degenerative disease or congenital anomalies
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Acute endocarditis
• Carcinoid heart disease
• Mitral annular calcifications
Treatment options:
• Medical management
• Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty
• Percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy
or surgical commissurotomy
• Valvulotomy
• Transcatheter procedures
• Minimally invasive procedures
• Surgical repair or replacement
Although mitral valve repair is more surgically
complex than replacement, it reduces the
need for blood thinners and complications
of prosthetic valves. Research indicates early
mitral valve repair leads to better outcomes
for symptoms such as ventricular dysfunction
or dilation, pulmonary hypertension and
atrial fibrillation. In addition, mitral valve repair
provides better long-term patient survival,
better preservation of heart function, lower
risk of complications, and usually eliminates
the need for long-term use of blood thinners
(anticoagulants).+
+ Nishimura RA, Otto CM, Benow RO, et al. 2014 AHA/ACC guidelines for management
of patient with valvular heart disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/
American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2014.
Cardiothoracic surgery program at
Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical
Center – Fort Worth
The clinical operations team, along with the
medical staff of Baylor Scott & White Heart and
Vascular Hospital – Fort Worth, work closely with
the cardiothoracic surgeons and the clinical
teams of Baylor Scott & White – Fort Worth in
the care, treatment and recovery of patients
needing cardiac surgery. Through collaborative
efforts between the two hospital entities for
streamlining processes and closely monitoring
quality outcomes and patient experience
indicators, the Fort Worth cardiovascular
program will continue to lead Tarrant County and
counties to the west in innovation, research and
advancement of complex cardiovascular care.
The chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center –
Fort Worth is Gonzalo V. Gonzalez-Stawinski, MD.
In fiscal year 2019, as the volume of cardiothoracic
surgeries increased, the surgeons on the medical
staff were able to increase the use of robotics
in the operating room for some procedures
and for appropriate patients. Robotic cardiac
surgery is less invasive with the use instruments
and robotic tools controlled by the surgeon. In
addition, a large percentage of the program’s
valve surgeries can be performed in a minimally
invasive manner with a three-inch incision.
ECMO program
Collaboration among all cardiovascular
programs and teams led to caring for many
complex cardiovascular patients in fiscal year
2019. In fact, the teams worked closely in fiscal
year 2019 for patients who received Impella ® , a
kind of LVAD that pumps blood in order to sustain
the heart either short-term during a procedure
or for up to seven days. Caring for the most
complex cardiovascular patients, the teams
worked together for patients who transferred
to the hospital from all over the region and
were deemed appropriate for extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support.