Care Coordination for Complex Heart Rhythm Disorders The human heart beats approximately 100,000 times a day—about 35 million times a year. Each heartbeat begins with an electrical impulse within the heart's own electrical network, called the conduction system. The electrical impulse of the conduction system starts in the atria, or upper chambers of the heart, and travels down to the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart, to produce a heartbeat.
To treat complex heart rhythm disorders, a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses and ancillary staff develop a comprehensive plan of care. The Center for Heart Rhythm Disorders is focused on delivering individualized, successful treatment tailored to each patient’s diagnosis. “Close collaboration with referring physicians and a wide range of treatment options are critical components of the quality care we provide to patients with heart rhythm disorders,” says Bradley P. Knight, MD. |
WATCHMAN: First in Illinois
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Atrial Fibrillation: Reducing Stroke RiskPulmonary Vein Isolation Ablation (PVI) is a procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). This type of ablation works by scarring or destroying tissue around the pulmonary veins that may trigger AF.
The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a pocket-like section in the left atrium (upper chamber) of the heart that is often a source of blood clot formation that may cause up to 90 percent of strokes due to AF. The LARIAT procedure sutures shut the LAA from the outside of the heart, potentially reducing risk of blood clots and stroke due to AF. Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute is recruiting patients with persistent or longstanding persistent AF into the aMAZE Study: LAA Ligation Adjunctive to PVI for Persistent or Longstanding Persistent Atrial Fibrillation. “aMAZE is a clinical trial designed to compare the safety and efficacy of two different methods of AF treatment: PVI alone or PVI with the LARIAT procedure,” says Albert C. Lin, MD. |
Patient Experience: Randy Prouty
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Patient Outcomes: Heart Rhythm Disorders
At Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, we evaluate our clinical outcomes so that we can fully understand how our treatments and procedures benefit our patients. We regularly review and evaluate our clinical outcomes and based on the results, develop methods to monitor and improve the health care we offer to our heart and vascular patients.
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Consistently Higher Volume of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators than National AverageCalendar Year 2012-2016Source: National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR)
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In-Hospital Death or Complications Following Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Procedures* Better than National AverageCalendar Year 2016Source: National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) *In this case lower is better. |
Cardiac Catheter Ablation Volume Has Increased by 151 Percent Since 2008Calendar Year 2008-2016 |
Low Incidence of 30-Day Complications Following Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation Procedures*
Calendar Year 2011-September 2015*Number of patients through Calendar Year 2011-September 2015 equals 675. In this case lower is better.
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