CVI Heartbeats
Shapiro 7 Launches Heart Failure Infusion Program
We're the first to admit that no one wants to be admitted to a hospital if they can possibly avoid it. The CardioVascular Institutes's (CVI)
Advanced Heart Failure Service led by
James D. Chang, MD
, and
Monique Nestor, NP, has launched a pilot Heart Failure Infusion Program to keep heart failure patients from bouncing back and forth between home and hospital.
The hope is that, when a patient's daily Lasix® (furosemide) or other diuretic pills are not enough to prevent the shortness of breath and fluid retention that are primary symptoms of heart failure, twice-weekly intravenous delivery of this medication will stabilize patients and free them from the revolving door as well as from the debilitating symptoms of shortness of breath and swelling.
Patients arrive at Shapiro 7, check into the Cardiac Specialties outpatient clinic and receive the medication. They are under continuous evaluation by a nurse or nurse practitioner and have blood tests performed if needed. During and after infusion of the medication, they receive supplementary education on dietary, lifestyle, and medication optimization. Patients return home after the treatment. Results have been good so far. The program will be expanded if they are sustained.
Vascular Interventionalist Arrives
Interventional cardiologist
Amjad AlMahameed, MD
, has joined the CVI as Director of the
Peripheral Medicine Program within the
Division of Cardiology. Dr. AlMahameed will practice interventional cardiology, general and interventional vascular medicine and he will oversee and direct a new vascular laboratory within the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. A former chief cardiovascular fellow at BIDMC, for many years he was associated with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Health Conference for Russian Community
"
Heart and Health," a
free patient education event, will be delivered in Russian by doctors and nurses from the CVI and other parts of BIDMC on Sunday morning, March 6. The event, to be held at the Holiday Inn in Brookline, is sponsored by cardiologist
Eli V. Gelfand, MD
, his
Russian Cardiovascular Clinic and the
Department of Medicine. Watch for more information at
bidmc.org/russianheart.
Veinwave Procedure Performed on Spider Veins
The CVI's innovative
Veinwave™ technology was featured in a
November 3 WCVB (Channel 5) television news story. Vascular surgeon
Allen D. Hamdan, MD
, demonstrated the thermo-coagulation technique for eliminating red vascular blemishes and thread-like spider veins from the legs, arms, face and other parts of the body with less pain, no recovery time and instant results.
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted December 2010