is then performed at Scott & White
Hospital - Temple (the Round Rock
hospital needs to build its cardiac
surgery volumes before it can offer the
procedure there). “I am proud to be part
of an organization capable of providing
this kind of comprehensive service,” he
says. “Being part of an integrated system
like Scott & White allows our patients
to have access to the latest and most
up-to-date technology.”
“The field of structural heart disease
repair is in its infancy, much like
angioplasty was 35 years ago,” says
Dr. Dehmer. “I look forward to the
completion of future clinical trials that
will give us smaller valves that are easier
to deploy. It’s an exciting time to be in
the field of interventional cardiology.”
says Rafael Gonzalez, MD, director
of cardiology at Scott & White
Healthcare - Round Rock. Radial
catheterization makes patients more
comfortable, and reduces back pain
and difficulty walking—all common
Scott & White physicians will
continue to use this new technology
in many more patients in the future,
providing life-changing options that
will make each patient’s experience the
best it can be. n
It’s all in the wrist
For many years, femoral catheterization
has been the standard for diagnosing
and treating cardiac disease. In recent
years, however, especially outside
the United States, cardiologists have
developed new catheters that allow the
procedure to be performed from one of
the main arteries in the arm. Physicians
at Scott & White are now traveling a
new route to the heart, via the wrist.
The procedure, called radial
catheterization, isn’t new, yet only a
small percent of patients nationwide
undergo the procedure. At Scott &
White, however, nearly a quarter of all
catheterizations are being performed
using this method. Patients must
meet specific criteria to be considered
candidates for the radial artery approach,
Some of the Scott & White Healthcare - Temple TAVR cardiology team, pictured
left to right: Dr. Marvin Atkins, Jr., Dr. Basar Sareyyupoglu, Dr. Mark E. Lawrence,
Dr. Elizabeth A. Ebert, and Dr. Timothy A. Mixon.
complaints following a femoral
catheterization. “The biggest advantages
of radial access are the extremely low
occurrence of bleeding complications
as well as the ability for the patient
to move around shortly after the
procedure has been completed,” he
says. “Usually, patients are up and
about after an hour in the recovery
area.” This differs drastically from the
two- to six-hour recovery period for a
femoral procedure where the patient
has to lie still while pressure is applied
to the incision.
Dr. Dehmer is a professor of medicine at the
Texas A&M Health Science Center College
of Medicine.
Dr. Mixon is an assistant professor of
Cardiology at the Texas A&M Health Science
Center College of Medicine.
Dr. Lawrence is an assistant professor of
internal medicine at the Texas A&M Health
Science Center College of Medicine.
Dr. Caldera is an assistant professor of
medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science
Center College of Medicine.
Dr. Gonzalez is an assistant professor of
medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science
Center College of Medicine.
sw.org | November 13 The Catalyst
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