It only makes headlines when it suddenly
claims the life of a young athlete, but
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) –
a genetic cardiac disease – is actually
the most common cause of sudden cardiac
death in people under 30.
Characterized by excessive thickening
of the heart muscle, which
makes it difficult for the heart to
pump blood effectively, the disease is
increasingly recognized as a cause of
heart failure, chest pain, shortness of
breath and premature death in the
teen and young adult population.
Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and other cardiac conditions
receive expert care in Winthrop’s John D. Miller Interventional Cardiology
Pavilion. The state-of-the-art center was created thanks to a $1,000,000 gift
from long-time member of the Hospital’s Board of Directors, John D. Miller. It
has enabled Winthrop to better accommodate the increasing number of patients
seeking help from the Hospital’s expert team of interventional cardiologists.
The John D. Miller Interventional Cardiology Pavilion features a technologically
upgraded Cardiac Catheterization Center, including four state-of-the-science
cardiac catheterization labs and a highly sophisticated Electrophysiology Center
designed to meet the increasing demand for interventional cardiology services
at Winthrop.
“We are extremely grateful for Mr. Miller’s continued support of our
Hospital,” said John F. Collins, Winthrop’s President & CEO. “His extraordinary
gift has benefited countless individuals who have come to Winthrop for
superior cardiac care and will continue to do so in the years to come.”
Present at the dedication of the John D. Miller Interventional Cardiology
Pavilion at Winthrop were (l.-r.) John D. Miller; Kevin Marzo, MD, Chief of the
Division of Cardiology: John F. Collins, Winthrop’s President & CEO; Todd Cohen,
MD, Director of Electrophysiology and the Pacemaker/Arrhythmia Center;
Srihari Naidu, MD, Director of Winthrop’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
and the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center; and Charles M. Strain, Chairman
of Winthrop’s Board of Directors.
What’s more, HCM often goes undiagnosed
well into adulthood either with
no symptoms, progressively worsening
symptoms, or symptoms that don’t
even begin to appear until middle age
or later in life.
Winthrop is partnering with the New
York Islanders to raise HCM awareness
in the community. Working
with the NHL team, the Hospital is
launching an initiative in local high
schools and colleges to help athletes
and coaches recognize the warning
signs and the importance of the
early diagnosis of HCM – the number
one cause of sudden cardiac death
in athletes. Spokespersons for the
program include New York Islander’s
left wing Matt Moulson and others
who have been impacted first-hand
by the disease.
For several years, Wanda Sachs
experienced pain and tightness in her
chest during normal daily activities on a
regular basis. In fact, the 62-year-old
resident of Farmingdale couldn’t walk
one block without feeling short of
breath – symptoms classified by the
American Heart Association (AHA) as
“Class III,” where patients experience
marked limitations during regular activities
and are only comfortable at rest.
After comprehensive evaluations by
a primary care physician and lung specialist
left her still without a diagnosis,
Ms. Sachs turned to Winthrop- affiliated
cardiologist Matthew T. Chengot, MD.
Dr. Chengot administered an echocardiogram,
which revealed Ms. Sachs’
enlarged heart muscle. Well in tune
with the warning signs of HCM thanks
to his connection to Winthrop’s Institute
for Heart Care, Dr. Chengot promptly
referred Ms. Sachs to Winthrop’s
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Center – Long Island’s first and only
HCM Center – for treatment.
Under the leadership of renowned
HCM expert Srihari S. Naidu, MD,
Director of Winthrop’s Cardiac
Catheterization Center, Winthrop’s
HCM Center has been designated a
Center of Excellence by the national
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Association. The Center’s multidisciplinary
team of cardiologists,
internal medicine specialists, electrophysiologists,
surgeons and pediatric
cardiologists provide comprehensive,
expert care for HCM patients including the latest options in minimally
invasive treatment.
After a comprehensive assessment
that involved extensive diagnostic testing
including a transesophageal
echocardiogram (TEE) to test the overall
function of Ms. Sachs’s heart valves
and chambers, Dr. Naidu presented
Ms. Sachs with two options for treatment
– open heart surgery with valve
replacement, or alcohol septal ablation,
a less invasive alternative to surgery.
“Although I had not been
in the hospital since my
daughter was born over 33
years ago, I wasn’t at all afraid
– I had full faith that Dr. Naidu
was going to help me.”
Wanda Sachs
Appropriate for patients with
severe HCM symptoms who meet strict
clinical and anatomic criteria, alcohol
septal ablation involves the precisely
controlled injection of a small amount
of pure alcohol into the thickened septum
– the dividing wall between the
right and left sides of the heart. The
alcohol destroys some of the excessive
heart muscle cells on the septum,
replacing them with thinner scar tissue,
which improves the blood flow out
of the heart. Since introducing this
advanced technique at Winthrop in
2007, Dr. Naidu has successfully treated
dozens of patients – the most of any
institution in the New York Metro area.
 An angiogram of the alcohol septal ablation procedure
performed on Wanda Sachs.
Not ready to undergo
open surgery, Ms. Sachs
opted for the alcohol septal
ablation procedure at
Winthrop in June 2010.
“Although I had not been
in the hospital since my
daughter was born over 33
years ago, I wasn’t at all
afraid – I had full faith that
Dr. Naidu was going to help
me,” she said.
The procedure, which
takes approximately one
hour during which patients
are fully awake, was a great
success thanks to Dr.
Naidu’s extensive experience
and the support of a highly skilled
team. Within just a few days, Ms.
Sachs was up and about, walking
around the Hospital unit reveling in
the joy of what it felt like to finally
achieve relief from her symptoms.
“For the first time in three years,
I could walk without experiencing
shortness of breath and tightness in
the chest – this was unbelievable
progress for me!” she said recently.
Now considered by the AHA as
“Class 1” – with no limitations during
any activities – she enjoys going to
the gym and taking walks on the
beach with her husband, Alan Griman,
whom she married on July 23, 2010.
Today, she is grateful for the care she
received at Winthrop which helped
make it all possible.
“If you have to go to the hospital,
Winthrop is the place to go,” she said.
“And Dr. Naidu is the kind of doctor that
you will never forget … I waited three
years to meet a doctor like him!”
|
Vol. 20, No. 2
Summer/Fall 2010
Back to Publications
|
