Download Solutions for your sleep problems New remote system helps deliver

1-800-4BAYLOR
●
November 2009
Time
toTest
Tino Garcia is living proof
that regular screenings
are key to good health page 6
Solutions for your
sleep problems
page 2
New remote system
helps deliver
specialized care
page 3
Treatments
for overactive
bladder
page 4
Comparing
therapies
for AFIB
page 5
Visit BaylorHealth.com
for informative videos,
interactive quizzes,
online event registration,
and much more.
FdBL110909_Waxahachie.indd 1
9/8/09 8:40:33 AM
Treating
Sleep
Troubles
The Sleep Center at
Baylor Waxahachie
helps patients get a
good night’s sleep
D
eWayne Volentine’s wife, Christian, is a nurse for
HealthTexas, and she had been pestering him for several years to get tested for sleep apnea. But because
he was waking for work at 5:30 a.m. every day, he chalked up
his sleepiness and fatigue to his early mornings. “I was hardheaded and put off getting checked. She finally talked me into
it,” he says.
The 41-year-old from Waxahachie reports that his sleep
study showed severe sleep apnea. He was aware of waking
several times during the night, but with sleep apnea, many
times people wake so briefly they aren’t aware of it. “I stopped
breathing 125 to 130 times during the night,” he says. He also
had quite a few leg movements throughout the test that
added to his interrupted sleep.
Following the study, his doctor prescribed a CPAP machine—
a device that uses pressurized air to keep the airways open.
Six months later, Volentine reports that it is working great.
“I get better, more restful sleep,” he
says. “I don’t notice the difference
so much in the morning, but later
in the evening I’m not getting tired
anymore.” He also has noticed a
decrease in headaches.
Volentine works as a teacher and
To learn more about
junior high athletic director for
sleep studies at Baylor
Waxahachie Independent School
Medical Center at
District, and in the afternoons and
Waxahachie, call
evenings he coaches for his 4-year972-923-7090 or visit
old and 8-year-old sons’ teams.
BaylorHealth.com/
Treating his sleep apnea has given
waxsleep.
him more energy for all his coaching
responsibilities, he says.
The treatment has benefited his wife, too. “Before, she would
not sleep well. She was nudging me and listening for me to stop
breathing. She’s started to get more sleep now,” he adds.
His advice to others who might have sleep apnea? “If you
think you have it, don’t put it off. Go get the testing done. It’s
painless, quick and easy. It’s not a scary thing. I’m glad I did it.”
l By Stephanie Thurrott
Counting
Sheep?
Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
1405 W. Jefferson, Waxahachie, TX 75165
President: Jay Fox
Director of Development, Baylor Health
Care System Foundation: Ellen Dearman
Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
Board of Trustees: Linda Alvarez; Jack
Curlin; Bobby D. Dyess, Chair; Jay Fox; Todd
Fuller; Valerie Gorman, M.D.; Nancy Hightower;
Mackey Morgan, DDS; Cindy Murray; Winnie
O’Donnell; Jim Pitts; Paul Stevens
Patient Information and Volunteer
Opportunities: 972-923-7000 or
972-935-9095
2 Giving Opportunities/Baylor Health Care
Foundation: 214-820-3136
Baylor Health Care System Mission:
Founded as a Christian ministry of healing,
Baylor Health Care System exists to serve
all people through exemplary health care,
education, research and ­community service.
Visit BaylorHealth.com or call
1-800-4BAYLOR for information about
Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
services, upcoming events, physician
referrals, career opportunities and more.
BaylorHealth is published six times a year
for friends and supporters of Baylor Medical
Center at Waxahachie.
BaylorHealth is published by McMurry. © 2009
Baylor Health Care System.
The material in BaylorHealth is not intended
for diagnosing or prescribing. Consult your
­physician before undertaking any form of
medical treatment or adopting any exercise
program or dietary guidelines.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at
one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary,
community or affiliated medical centers and
are neither employees nor agents of those
medical centers, Baylor Medical Center at
Waxahachie or Baylor Health Care System.
Photographs may include models or actors
and may not represent actual patients.
BaylorHealth November 2009 l For a physician referral, visit BaylorHealth.com
FdBL110909_Waxahachie.indd 2
If you are receiving multiple copies, need
to change your mailing address or do not
wish to receive this publication, please
send your mailing label(s) and the updated
information to Robin Vogel, Baylor Health Care
System, 2001 Bryan St., Suite 750, Marketing
Department, Dallas, TX 75201, or e-mail the
information to [email protected].
Cover photograph by Tadd Myers; hair and makeup by Dane Nelson
9/8/09 8:40:55 AM
Technologically
Advanced
New system brings remote specialists to
Baylor Waxahachie bedsides
D
octors in the intensive care unit
at Baylor Medical Center at
Waxahachie have a new tool that
can help them care for their critically ill
patients. It’s a robot that can accompany
them on rounds, bringing the skills of a
specialist to the bedside.
The robot is named BESSY—Baylor’s
Extra Specialist Seeing You. BESSY rolls
around on the hospital floor, navigated
by a doctor at Baylor University Medical
Center at Dallas at a control station
in the ICU assisted by a joystick and
Internet connection.
The robot’s “head,” a computer monitor, uses videoconferencing technology
to display the remote doctor’s face. A
patient can talk to the doctor as if he or
she were in the room. Along with talking
to the patient, the doctor at Baylor Dallas
can listen to the heartbeat, examine the
pupils and review X-rays and test results.
Baylor Waxahachie began testing the
system in May. While patients are sometimes a bit self-conscious speaking to the
robot at first, they quickly get comfortable with the arrangement.
“The chief benefit for patients here
in the ICU is that it allows us to bring
additional specialty coverage directly
to the bedside. A doctor at another
Baylor facility, particularly Baylor Dallas,
can actually examine and talk with the
patient via the robot,” explains Cindy
Murray, vice president for patient care
services at Baylor Waxahachie. “An intensivist from the Baylor Dallas campus can
do rounds on our ICU patients with the
patient-care team in Waxahachie.”
The technology is new and may allow
more people to be treated close to home
in Waxahachie rather than in Dallas.
For people with complex conditions,
the robot could be used in the future to
bring multiple remote doctors together
to consult on the case as well as offer
a learning opportunity for the patient
care team accompanying the robot on
rounds. l By Stephanie Thurrott
Quality Care
Close to Home
For a referral to a physician on the
medical staff at Baylor Waxahachie, visit
BaylorHealth.com/physicianfinder or
call 1-800-4BAYLOR.
To make a donation, visit BaylorHealth.com l November 2009 BaylorHealth FdBL110909_Waxahachie.indd 3
3
9/21/09 9:06:59 AM
When
You
Really
Gotta Go
Baylor Waxahachie
offers three treatments
to help those with
overactive bladder
S
ome people feel a sudden, compelling desire to urinate. The sensation is so strong that they rush to
the nearest bathroom, afraid of leakage
if they don’t make it in time. The condition is called “overactive bladder,” and
it’s not the same as incontinence—only
about one-third of people with overactive bladder have incontinence along
with it.
If you find yourself rushing to the bathroom,
talk to your doctor. “A lot of people are too embarrassed to seek help. But there are a lot of different
treatment options. You don’t have to live with this,”
explains Kristin Williams, M.D., an obstetrician/
gynecologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical
Center at Waxahachie.
If you have symptoms of overactive bladder, your
doctor will first rule out other conditions such as
urinary tract infections, bladder
cancer or, in men, obstructions.
Then, there are three courses of
treatment that can help get the
condition under control.
For a referral to a urolo1. Behavioral therapy.
gist or OB/GYN on the
“These treatments are not invaBaylor Waxahachie
sive, not toxic and you can pracmedical staff, call
tice them at home,” Dr. Williams
1-800-4BAYLOR or visit
says. Kegel exercises can help
BaylorHealth.com/
strengthen pelvic floor muscles,
physicianfinder.
and performing Kegels when an
urge comes on can help give you a sense of control
—the urge can pass and you don’t have to rush.
Bring
in the Experts
4 Keeping a voiding diary can help, especially in
older people with chronic disease who have decreased sensation as the bladder is filling and then
urgency as the bladder becomes full. Timed voiding
every three to four hours can help avoid urgency.
With biofeedback, you work with a specialist who
can help you isolate the pelvic floor muscles and
measure contraction strength. “It’s like having a
personal trainer at the gym,” Dr. Williams says.
2. Medication. If behavioral methods don’t
work, often medication can help. There are several
types of medication doctors can prescribe. Many
have side effects such as dry mouth, mild sedation
and constipation, so your doctor will tailor the medication and dosage to minimize side effects and maximize the benefit.
3. Injections and implants. For people
who have tried several medications without success,
Botox® injections might work. They can provide
relief for six to nine months. Another option is an
electrode implanted in the back to stimulate the
nerves that are involved in bladder sensation and
function. l By Stephanie Thurrott
BaylorHealth November 2009 l For the career of a lifetime, go to BaylorHealth.com
FdBL110909_Waxahachie.indd 4
9/23/09 1:36:44 PM
Different
Drummers
Baylor evaluates options for
regulating heart rhythm problems
Between 2 and 5 million Americans experience atrial
fibrillation, the most common type of heart rhythm
problem. The small upper chambers of the heart
quiver instead of beating effectively, which can lead
to stroke, serious heart issues and even death.
Treatments for atrial
fibrillation already
exist, and Baylor
Health Care System
is participating in a
For information about
study sponsored by
participating in the
the National Institutes
CABANA trial, call
of Health (NIH) to
1-800-4BAYLOR or visit
determine whether
BaylorHealth.com/
one approach might be
advancingmedicine.
better than another.
THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano is
Baylor’s lead site for the multi-center CABANA
trial, which will randomly assign 3,000 participants to one of two groups to compare established
treatments. One is medications that can regulate
the heartbeat and the other is catheter ablation,
a minimally invasive procedure. Catheter ablation
uses a tiny tube to send energy to the heart and
destroy small areas of tissue where abnormal heartbeats may cause an irregular rhythm, also known as
an arrhythmia.
“Traditionally, the primary treatment has been
medication to suppress the arrhythmia, but some
of the side effects are significant,” says J. Brian
DeVille, M.D., FACC, a cardiac electrophysiologist
Join
the Trial
Illustration by Stephanie Dalton Cowan
FdBL110901_BUMC.indd 5
and medical director for electrophysiology for
the Heart Rhythm Institute at THE HEART
HOSPITAL Baylor Plano.
Catheter ablation is typically only used in patients
who don’t respond well to medication, which works
well in about 50 percent of patients to control atrial
fibrillation. However, the success rate with catheter
ablation is about 70 percent to 80 percent, Dr. DeVille
explains, although, up to one-third of patients need to
have the procedure performed twice.
Participants will be followed for a minimum of two
years over the course of the five-year study, which
also will be conducted at the Baylor Jack and Jane
Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital. Other Baylor
sites are likely to participate in the CABANA trial, too.
Ultimately, the study is designed to determine
which of the two treatments provides the best standard of care. Or, according to Dr. DeVille, perhaps
the results will show that there are applications for
both approaches to addressing atrial fibrillation.
“This has been a highly anticipated trial,” he says,
“and I think this study really has the potential to
shape how we treat atrial fibrillation in the years to
come.” ● By Amy Lynn Smith
2 and 5 million
Between
Americans experience atrial fibrillation,
the most common type of heart rhythm
problem, which can lead to stroke,
serious heart issues and even death.
Visit us at BaylorHealth.com
●
November 2009 BaylorHealth
5
9/18/09 8:55:58 AM
Behind
the
Screens
T
By Stephanie Thurrott
Stay on top of medical tests
and stay a step ahead of trouble
Tino Garcia of Garland had little reason
Start Screening Early
to suspect heart disease. He was just
While Garcia’s routine tests
43 years old and at a healthy weight, and
didn’t show worrisome signs,
a recent EKG required for a life insurthat’s not often the case. Some
ance policy didn’t turn up any concerns.
screenings can help detect early
Neither his parents nor any of his five
warning signs of heart disease.
brothers had heart problems. But he had
Doctors on the medical staff
a pain in his chest that, while mild, felt
at Baylor recommend blood
unfamiliar and wouldn’t subside.
pressure screenings starting at
After several weeks, he visited his
age 18, repeated every two years
doctor, who at first suspected acid reflux.
if levels are normal. Cholesterol
But when medication didn’t relieve the
screenings should start at age 20,
symptoms, his doctor sent him to a
with follow-up tests every five
cardiologist. A battery of tests discovered
years if results are normal.
blockages in his heart’s vessels.
Skin cancer also can show signs
Garcia was able to have the stents he
early, so from age 20 on, check your
needed placed with a new procedure
skin for suspicious changes once a
called radial artery catheterization.
month and have your doctor examine
He was soon back to work and able to
your skin every three years.
spend his free time with his wife, son
If you’re at high risk for diabetes,, have
and daughter.
a fasting blood glucose test once a year.
Biren Parikh, M.D., a cardiologist
on the medical staff at Baylor Medical
See Your Doctor on Schedule
Center at Garland, says that the
In fall 2008, Richard Hearne, 66, of Dallas,
catheterization procedure uses a blood
began to notice blood in his urine, but
vessel in the arm to thread the stent
suspected it was a symptom of his type 2
to the heart, instead of the
traditional access via the
groin. Some complications,
such as bleeding, are less
likely with access through the
As tailor and heart patient Tino Garcia (right)
arm, and patients typically
discovered, everyone’s heart health is different.
don’t require bedrest after
Hear about his unique experience firsthand at
the procedure.
BaylorHealth.com/mystory.
Tailored Care
6
BaylorHealth November 2009
FdBL110909_Waxahachie.indd 6
●
Sick? Click. Visit BaylorHealth.com
9/8/09 8:41:19 AM
5 TIPS FOR
DODGING DISEASE
All in
the Family
diabetes. So, he waited
Especially for Men
until his annual physical
Young men should get
Your family’s health
in December to mention it
in the habit of checking
history can influence
to his doctor. His lab tests
for testicular lumps
your risk for certain
confirmed the presence
monthly, which can
diseases and might
change your doctor’s
of blood, and his doctor
be signs of testicular
recommendation for
recommended a CT scan,
cancer. Talk to your
certain screenings.
which showed a mass on
doctor to see if he or
Read more about it at
his bladder. The mass
she recommends prosBaylorHealth.com/
turned out to be cancerous,
tate cancer screenings
healthcast.
and Hearne had surgery to
after age 40, advises
remove it in January. He
W. Scott Webster, M.D.,
recovered and regained his strength, a urologist on the medical staff at Baylor
getting back into shape for a trip
University Medical Center at Dallas.
to Africa in July.
Checking in with your
For Women Only
doctor regularly—even
Women should check monthly for breast
when you’re not feeling
abnormalities that might signal breast
sick—gives him or her
cancer and have a screening mammoa chance to monitor
gram between age 35 and 40, then annual
your health and look
mammograms after age 40, says Nirmala
for signs of trouble
Vallurupalli, M.D., a gynecologist on the
early, when
medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical
diseases are
Center at Plano. Pap smears to check for
generally more cervical cancer should start at age 21
treatable.
(or three years after the onset of sexual
activity) and be repeated annually. Start
checking for HPV, a virus linked to cancerous changes, at age 30. Once you’re
through menopause, talk to your doctor
about having your bone density tested
for signs of osteoporosis. Most women
should have this test done by age 65.
Dr. Vallurupalli says many women also
should have their vitamin D levels
tested. This vitamin, which helps keep
bones strong, gets generated when
your skin is exposed to sunlight, and
most people work indoors during most
daylight hours.
As You Age
Bump up skin cancer checks to yearly
after age 40. Screenings for polyps in the
colon, colorectal cancer and other digestive tract disorders should start at age 50.
Is tracking all these screenings
making you crazy? Visit your doctor for
a physical exam as often as he or she
recommends. For most adults, that will
be once a year. Your records will show
what tests you need and when, and your
doctor can help you stay on track and in
good health. ●
Photo by Tadd Myers; hair and makeup by Dane Nelson
FdBL110909_Waxahachie.indd 7
Screenings are essential for catching diseases early enough to treat.
But what if you could prevent
them in the first place? While
some risk factors for disease—
such as age, gender, family history,
personal history and ethnicity—
are uncontrollable, others can
be controlled.
Here are five tips from Glenn
Ledbetter, M.D., a family medicine physician on the medical
staff at Baylor Medical Center at
Waxahachie, to help reduce your
risk for conditions such as cancer,
diabetes, heart disease and stroke:
1. Know your risk factors.
Talk to your doctor about your
risks for disease. Ask about your
weight, and your blood pressure,
cholesterol and glucose numbers,
and what they mean.
2. Get regular checkups.
Screenings and physicals are
key. After all, most diseases are
treatable—but they have to be
found first.
3. Watch your weight. Eat a
diet rich in whole grains, fruits,
vegetables and low-fat dairy, and
be active. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day three or more days per
week. Just be sure to get clearance from your doctor first.
4. Don’t smoke. If you need
help quitting, ask. There are
plenty of resources available.
5. Cover up. Skin cancer is
prevalent in our state. When
out in the sun, wear protective
clothing, hats and sunglasses and
slather on the sunscreen—no
matter what season. ●
By Shelley Flannery
Know Your
Numbers
Sometimes test results can be hard
to interpret. Take our interactive quiz
at BaylorHealth.com/healthcast to
see how much you know about a few
common health screenings.
Find Dr. Right. Visit BaylorHealth.com
●
November 2009 BaylorHealth
7
9/8/09 8:41:59 AM
Baylor Health Care System
2001 Bryan Street, Suite 750
Marketing Department
Dallas, TX 75201
NON-PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
BAYLOR HEALTH
“Recognize me?”
“The biggest change is how I look at the world,” says Fercina Fudge, who had gastric bypass surgery at Baylor. “I walk into a
room now, and I don’t have to look around to see if I’m the fattest person there,” she says. After struggling with weight most
of her life, Fercina says. “I knew I had to make a change…it was affecting my blood pressure, my joints. There were so many
things I couldn’t do.“ Now, Fercina says, “not being recognized is a fabulous thing.”
For a physician referral or for more information about
weight loss services at Baylor Waxahachie, call
1.800.4BAYLOR or visit us online at BaylorHealth.com.
1405 West Jefferson, Waxahachie, Texas 75165
Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those
medical centers, Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie or Baylor Health Care System. ©2009 Baylor Health Care System BMCW BHM CE 9.09
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