Download Texas Heart® Institute at St. Luke`s Episcopal Hospital Continues

Texas Heart® Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Continues
Pioneering Treatments and Care for Cardiovascular Disease
First in the World to Treat Heart Attacks with Stem Cells
Physician scientists at the Texas Heart Institute (THI) at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital announced they have begun the world’s first
clinical trial to treat heart attack patients with a special type of stem cell. This revolutionary treatment will help promote better
healing and prevent congestive heart failure, which many patients develop following a heart attack.
“Our pre-clinical trials have established that
ten days after the heart attack is the optimal
time to give this treatment. The heart is still
inflamed in the days just after a heart attack.
If we wait too late, the heart will have too
much scar tissue and its ability to pump will
already be compromised,” said Emerson
Perin, M.D., Ph.D. (pictured below, right).
Dr. Perin is the director of the Texas Heart
Institute’s Stem Cell Center and was recently
appointed director of clinical research for
cardiovascular medicine at THI.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and the Texas Heart Institute’s Denton A. Cooley Building
Stem cell transplantation offers new hope for treating heart failure. Stem cells are
“generic” cells that can regenerate themselves and develop into specialized cells, such
as cardiac cells. In stem cell therapy, stem cells are typically removed from another part
of the patient’s body—usually the bone marrow or the blood, both of which contain a
variety of stem cell types. The cells are then transplanted into the heart, where they can
lead to the growth of new heart muscle and blood vessels to replace damaged tissues.
“This is a major milestone in the adult stem cell research we began eight years ago,”
said James Willerson, M.D., president and medical director of the Texas Heart
Institute at St. Luke’s (pictured, left). “I believe we were meant to learn of the powerful
potential of stem cells and build on it. In the coming years, this could be an accepted
stem cell therapy at hospitals. Ultimately, stem cell research could give us the ability to
regenerate whole hearts,” said Dr. Willerson.
Congestive Heart Failure Facts
Congestive Heart Failure is a progressive form of cardiovascular disease that inhibits
the heart from pumping blood throughout the body.
• Almost 6 million Americans have congestive heart failure
• 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year
• About half of these patients die within five years after receiving a diagnosis of severe
heart failure
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“This is a major milestone in the adult stem
cell research we began eight years ago.”
-James Willerson, M.D., president and
medical director of the Texas Heart
Institute at St. Luke’s
Texas Heart® Institute at St. Luke’s Receives $2.8
Million Grant to Develop Unique Total Artificial Heart
A $2.8 million National Institutes of Health grant to the Texas
Heart Institute (THI) at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital will fund
development of a novel “pulse-less” total artificial heart.
Unlike previous heart-assist pumps that duplicated the
pulse of the natural heart, this experimental device uses two
small MicroMed® DeBakey Ventricular-Assist Devices (VADs)
that pump blood continuously.
One of the two VADs will be dedicated to circulation
of blood throughout the body and the other to blood flow to
and from the lungs. Developing a way to design the pumps to
automatically respond to the body’s changing needs for blood
– such as during exercise – will be a key aim of the program.
Continuous flow pumps are smaller, simpler and more robust
than their large, complicated pulsatile predecessors.
MicroMed DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device
The THI has been a leader in developing heart-assist devices, including those with a continuous flow. Heart-assist devices aid
or take the place of the left ventricle, the heart’s major pumping chamber. Another small continuous flow pump, the HeartMate II,
has undergone extensive testing for this purpose at THI. Previous work using such continuous flow pumps showed that they could
keep people alive for years, even without a perceptible pulse.
The grant was awarded under the NIH Bioengineering Research Partnership, a special program to encourage collaborations
among medical and engineering experts. Dr. Bud Frazier, chief of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation, chief of the Center for Cardiac
Support and director of Surgical Research at the Texas Heart Institute, will lead with a collaborative team from THI, MicroMed
Cardiovascular, Inc., University of Houston and Rice University.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Hosts World-Renowned
International Neuroradiology Conference
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is proud to regularly sponsor LINC Course Houston, a biannual international conference on
neuroradiology that is designed to provide an update on current diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and techniques, as well as the
future clinical application of emerging techniques. This year’s conference was led by Michel Mawad, M.D., associate service chief
of Radiology and director of Neurovascular Radiology at the NeuroScience Center at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and chair and
professor, Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine (pictured below).
Alternating between Houston and Paris, each conference features individual presentations by internationally acclaimed faculty.
Focusing on the newest endovascular techniques in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, plenary lectures and panel discussions
included the medical, neurosurgical, and endovascular treatment of aneurysms, AVMs, stroke, fibrinolysis, intracranial angioplasty
and atherosclerotic carotid disease.
An exciting element of LINC Course Houston 2008
was the live transmission of endovascular procedures, in which
the audience interacted directly with the physicians doing the
procedures. Each live case was preceded by a didactic lecture
detailing the techniques of the particular procedure, its pitfalls,
potential risks and complications. At the end of each procedure,
the results were discussed among the faculty and the audience
in an informal manner. LINC Course is one of many opportunities offering Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.
For information on upcoming CME credit events, please contact the St. Luke’s International Center.
Michel Mawad, M.D.
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St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Ranked Among
Nation’s Best Hospitals in Eight Specialties
Texas Heart® Institute at St. Luke’s in Top Ten for 18th Consecutive Year
In its annual survey of “America’s Best Hospitals,” U.S.News & World Report has
ranked St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital among the elite healthcare institutions in the
nation in eight major areas of care. This includes the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s
Episcopal Hospital, listed in the top ten nationally in heart and heart surgery for the 18th
consecutive year.
Ranking number seven overall, the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital
is the only heart center in Houston and the Southwest to be listed among the top ten in
its category by the magazine. St. Luke’s also placed among the nation’s leading hospitals
in Gastrointestinal Disorders, Endocrinology, Geriatric Care, Kidney Disease, Neurology
and Neurosurgery, Respiratory Disorders and Urology. It is the only Houston hospital
ranked among the best in both Endocrinology and Respiratory Disorders.
U.S.News evaluated data from 5,453 hospitals, of which only 170 met the standard of being among the best in one or more
specialties. For more information about the rankings, visit U.S.News online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals.
U.S.News & World Report’s 2008 "America’s Best Hospitals"
ranked St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, home of the Texas Heart
Institute, among the nation’s top hospitals in eight specialties:
• Heart
• Urology
• Geriatric Care
• Endocrinology
Ranking number seven overall, the Texas Heart Institute
at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is the only heart center in
Houston and the Southwest to be listed among
the top ten in its category.
• Kidney Disease
• Respiratory Disorders
• Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Neurology and Neurosurgery
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Earns 2008
Distinguished Hospital Award for
Clinical Excellence™ Two Years in a Row
For the second year in a row, St. Luke’s
Episcopal Hospital has earned the
Distinguished Hospital Award
for Clinical Excellence™ from
HealthGrades, a leading independent
company that measures healthcare
quality in hospitals. St. Luke’s is one
of only 269 hospitals —the top five
percent—in the United States to earn
this prestigious honor.
HealthGrades estimates that 171,424 lives could have been saved
and 9,671 post-operative complications could have been avoided
over the three years studied, if all Medicare patients were treated
at Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.
Left to right: Karen K. Myers, MSN, RN, CNAA, vice president &
chief nursing officer; Mike Reno, FACHE, CHSP, vice president;
David C. Pate, M.D., JD, chief executive officer, St. Luke’s Episcopal
Hospital, & senior vice president, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System;
Kristen Turner, RN, MBA, vice president.
The ratings are available on the organization’s Web site,
www.healthgrades.com.
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St. Luke’s Offers The Terrace Experience
The Terrace suites at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital are designed
for patients who prefer upgraded accommodations and the
atmosphere associated with fine hotels. Located on the 23rd floor
of the hospital, The Terrace provides an enhanced setting for
recovery.
Quality of Care
Our nursing staff has the multidisciplinary clinical expertise,
compassion and dedication to provide the quality care expected
from St. Luke’s. The Terrace is equipped to handle a variety of
medical conditions, with the exception of intensive care needs.
As part of our commitment to personalized care, The Terrace
staff works closely with the St. Luke’s International Center to
support the needs of our international patients.
Exclusive Elegance in a Hospital Setting
Special accommodations and personalized attention await you. Spacious suites, artistic lighting, a full-sized bathroom and large
picture windows overlooking the Texas Medical Center are some of the inviting amenities.
St. Luke’s Terrace features:
• Nine spacious suites measuring up to 505 square feet, with
adjoining accommodations for guests
• High Tea served daily; complimentary coffee, tea and soft
drinks
• Security-enhanced floor, accessed only by a key card
• A private family room and fully-equipped business center
• Gourmet cuisine prepared by an award-winning executive
chef
• Daily newspaper delivery and laundry service
• Two 32" flat-screen televisions with satellite and DVD player
• High-quality sound systems with satellite radios and wireless
Internet in every suite
St. Luke’s International Center
The multilingual staff of the St. Luke’s International Center understands the special needs of international patients who turn to
St. Luke’s, home of the Texas Heart Institute for their healthcare needs. For years, patients from around the world have come to
St. Luke’s because they find the world-class medical and surgical expertise they require with physicians, nurses and facilities not
available anywhere else. Just as St. Luke’s physicians are dedicated to providing the best medical care, the International Center staff
is dedicated to making the patient and family feel welcome and as comfortable as possible.
Contact Us
St. Luke’s International Center staff is available to answer your calls, faxes and e-mails between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (U.S.
Central Standard Time) Monday through Friday, except U.S. holidays. If an urgent need arises outside regular business hours, please
call the main number below and a representative is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Telephone: (832) 355-3350 Fax: (832) 355-3002
E-mail: [email protected]
Toll-free calls to St. Luke’s from overseas:
Mexico: 001-800-010-1784
Italy: 800-875-607
Peru: 0800-50737
Venezuela: 800-100-3376
Philippines: 1-800-1111-0851
Mailing address:
St. Luke’s International Center
6720 Bertner Ave., MC 2-113
Houston, TX 77030 USA
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