photo by: LMH Health

LMH Health, 325 Maine St., is pictured in May 2021.

LMH Health is adding innovative procedures that could make a big difference for cardiac patients in our community. From the removal of life-threatening blood clots to diagnostic testing and monitoring to reduce the need for hospitalization for heart failure patients, leading-edge cardiac care is available at LMH.

“We’re thrilled to be able to add three new procedures to help cardiology patients,” said Dr. Aaron Doonan, an interventional cardiologist with the LMH Health Heart Center.

PULMONARY EMBOLISM REMOVAL

When you hear the name Derrick Thomas, what do you think? It may conjure images of the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker recording seven sacks against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. But you might also recall the condition that took his life later that year – a pulmonary embolism.

Dr. Doonan explained that a pulmonary embolism occurs when blood clots form, usually in the legs, and break off. They then travel through the body and lodge in the pulmonary arteries between the heart and lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath and chest pain.

“If the embolism is large and obstructs enough blood flow, people can pass out. In a worst-case scenario, patients can go into cardiac arrest,” he said.

LMH recently invested in a special piece of equipment, called a large suction catheter, to remove pulmonary clots, called emboli. Dr. Doonan jokingly compared the life-saving equipment to a big vacuum on the end of a large straw,

“Now that we have this device, it results in patients getting faster treatment for pulmonary emboli, reduced risk of cardiac arrest, and shorter hospital stays,” he said. “Patients are typically prescribed blood thinners for three to six months after treatment, though it varies based on the individual patient.”

INOCA/ANOCA TESTING

Experiencing chest pain can be frightening, but even more so when cardiac testing isn’t able to identify the cause of the problem. Many patients, especially women, experience persistent chest pain even though their coronary arteries and results of stress tests are normal.

“These patients often bounce between specialists, like seeing a gastroenterologist to get an endoscopy or a pulmonologist to look at potential lung dysfunction, or their symptoms are dismissed as anxiety,” Dr. Doonan said.

Cardiologists at the LMH Health Heart Center join only a few hospitals in the region in providing full testing for two potential causes – INOCA and ANOCA.

INOCA is the term for ischemia, which is reduced or restricted blood flow to the heart, in patients with normal coronary arteries. ANOCA – or angina – refers to chest pain with normal coronary arteries. When patients undergo testing for these conditions, cardiologists are looking for three major problems:

Coronary artery spasm – a sudden tightening of the muscles that deliver blood to your heart

Endothelial dysfunction – a condition affecting the lining of the arteries

Myocardial bridging – where the artery dips into the heart muscle and restricts blood flow

“Now we’ve got the technology to bring patients into the cath lab and look for these three things. If we find an answer we can target the treatment to address the problem,” Dr. Doonan said. “The treatment for spasm is a little different from one for endothelial dysfunction, and it’s vastly different if you have a bridge that’s restricting blood flow.”

Wireless Heart Failure monitoring

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 6.7 million adults in the United States have heart failure, with about one in four developing it during their lifetime. It’s a leading cause of hospitalization, even for patients who follow every instruction from their cardiologist, including taking their medication correctly and following the right diet. LMH Health now has a new tool to help patients prevent hospital admissions.

“Wireless heart failure monitoring can help alert us to problems before they start. We’re able to intervene earlier, even before the patient begins gaining weight or other symptoms begin,” Dr. Doonan said.

How does it work? A cardiologist implants a small pressure sensor in the pulmonary artery to monitor daily pressure readings. Patients lay on a special pillow at home that collects the data wirelessly and sends the reading to the Heart Center’s heart failure nurse. If there’s an alert that’s outside the normal range, the heart failure team contacts the patient.

“Being able to provide this early intervention helps to keep heart failure patients out of the hospital, reduce emergency admissions, and improve their quality of life,” Dr. Doonan said.

Comprehensive cardiac care in your own backyard

With the addition of these specialized cardiac services, the LMH Health Heart Center continues to work to help patients improve their quality of life.

“We’ve been able to add these procedures to the tools we already have to help our patients manage their conditions and avoid hospitalization,” Dr. Doonan said. “You don’t have to travel out of the community for advanced diagnostic testing and cutting-edge cardiac procedures. We’ll care for you right here, in your own backyard.”

Autumn Bishop is the marketing manager and content strategist at LMH Health, which is a sponsor of the Lawrence Journal-World’s health section.