Surgical expertise keeps Cape cardiac patients closer to
home. Cape Cod Hospital -- one of only three community hospitals in
Massachusetts licensed to perform cardiac surgery -- began performing cardiac
surgery in August, 2002. Since that time, more than 1,000 Cape patients
have benefited from expert care close to home and family, supported through the
hospital's affiliation with Brigham and
Women’s Hospital, an internationally-renowned cardiovascular surgery
center.
“We have done more than 1,000 cases, including almost 300 valve operations
with excellent results,” said Robert J.
Rizzo, M.D. F.A.C.S. board-certified cardiac surgeon and Chief of
Cardiac Surgery. “As our program evolves, we’re taking on more challenging
terrain. We have already begun combined procedures, performing coronary bypass,
valve, and aortic work on the same patient.”
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), the most common procedure, uses a vein
from the leg or an artery from the chest or forearm and reattaches it to the
coronary artery to route blood around a blockage. In valve surgery, the trend is
to try to repair or save the valve. When necessary, both mechanical and tissue
valve replacements can be performed here as well as aortic replacements for
aneurysms. Congenital heart defects, such as atrial septal defects, have been
repaired and even several cardiac tumors have been excised.
“The procedures we perform allow us to treat the majority of patients who
need cardiac surgery,” said Dr. Rizzo.
The cardiac surgery program also provides backup for angioplasty procedures in which interventional
cardiologists use a balloon-tipped catheter to enlarge a narrowing in the
coronary artery and a stent to keep it open.
The cardiac surgery program has been in place for nearly 8 years,
but the work to bring it to Cape Cod Hospital took place for years before it was
launched. First, approval had to be given by the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health and an important affiliation between Cape Cod Hospital and Brigham and
Women's Hospital was formed to provide support. This work was accompanied by
an investment of millions of dollars in needed renovations, equipment and
personnel. The improvements to Cape Cod Hospital, while designed to support the
cardiac surgery program, have resulted in wider benefits as well.
“The various support services that have been put in place, including expanded
blood banks, improved lab services, and increased staff, have improved the
quality of medicine practiced throughout the hospital,” said Lawrence
McAuliffe, M.D. , Chief of Cardiovascular Services at the hospital. “It has
benefitted the community as a whole.”
“Cardiac surgery is a huge effort and we have assembled a superb team,” added
Dr. Rizzo, “including dedicated cardiac scrub techs, OR nurses, physician
assistants, anesthetists, expert perfusionists, a great cardiac anesthesiologist
in Dr. Gilbert
Connelly, specially trained cardiac ICU nurses and an excellent cardiac
surgeon, Dr. Paul
Pirundini .”
