WakeMed Voices » hearts

WakeMed Cardiologist: CPR is Best Chance of Surviving Cardiac Arrest

Meghan Rosenthal — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:33:38 +0000

Thirty-two people die every day in North Carolina of cardiac arrest, but that could change if more people were trained to do CPR.

WakeMed Cardiologist Dr. George Hamrick, spoke with NBC 17 this week about the importance of learning CPR during a “Feel the Beat: CPR Anytime” event in Garner.

The program includes a presentation on the warning signs and symptoms of heart attack, followed by a 30-minute CPR Anytime training. Participants will receive a free training kit per household.

The next CPR Anytime training session will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, February 29 at WakeMed Brier Creek Healthplex, 8001 T.W. Alexancer Drive & ACC Boulevard.

Safe Carotid Stenting

Heather Monackey — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:59:28 +0000

Dr. Sachar and cardiovascular specialist insert a carotid sent in the cath lab.

Saturday’s News & Observer included an Associated Press article about the usage of stents to open blocked carotid arteries. Wake Heart & Vascular Associates’ Drs. Ravish Sachar and Matt Hook were very involved in the study described in the story. For the study, they examined the safety of using stents in carotid arteries.

Stents have long been used to fix heart arteries but have only been FDA approved for use in the neck in patients for whom surgery may be too risky.

The new study results were exceedingly positive and it has been shown that more patients can be safely treated using carotid stenting instead of the more invasive surgical options to open a blocked carotid artery. Now, work has begun to get Medicare and the insurance companies to cover carotid stenting.

Fluoroscopy image of a blocked carotid artery

The same carotid artery after stent was inserted

Dr. Go’s RX for Heart Health

Heather Monackey — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:04:27 +0000

February is Heart Month, and in our most recent issue of Heart to Heart we included interviews with a few of our cardiologist about how they stay heart healthy.

Brian Go, MD, FACC

Raleigh Cardiology Associates

Heart to Heart: What motivates you to exercise?

Dr. Go: Routine exercise is an essential part of my life. It’s like the “perfect drug” for me. It decreases my stress level, and I sleep better at night. It helps me focus mentally and improves my overall mood and disposition. For me, there is no substitute.

Holiday Heart

Heather Monackey — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:36:21 +0000

: Don’t Have a Christmas Coronary

According to data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, more people have heart attacks around the holidays than any other time of the year. The reasons for this doctors postulate are many including holiday stress, loneliness, skipped doctor’s appointments, lack of exercise, poor diet and especially binge drinking, which all can cause a medical condition commonly referred to as holiday heart.

Yesterday, Dr. Ravish Sachar, cardiologist with Wake Heart & Vascular Associates, was interviewed by WTVD-TV’s Mathew Mendez about ways to make sure you and your family stay healthy and well during the holiday season. In case you missed it, read story interview online. Triangle residents can also take comfort in the fact that the WakeMed Heart Center is one of the few on the East Coast with a staffed cath lab open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can feel secure knowing you will receive the same top notch care whether you have a heart attack at 2 pm or 2 am on Christmas Day or any other day of the year.

30 Years of Cardiac Care

Heather Monackey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:18:34 +0000

Mark Leithe, MD

Recently Raleigh Cardiology Associates celebrated its 30^th anniversary in the WakeMed Heart Center Conference Center. To mark this occasion, I interviewed Dr. Mark Leithe, cardiologist with Raleigh Cardiology Associates, for his perspective on cardiovascular care in Wake County and how far it has progressed since 1979.

First and foremost, we have seen a precipitous drop in morbidity and mortality associated with coronary vascular disease. Through the development of the modern Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and technologies and procedures like cardiac catheterization, coronary bypass and intervention and better management of myocardial infarction, more people are living and thriving with heart disease.

WakeMed also now leads the state in terms of sheer volume for cardiovascular care. But, we didn’t start out that way. In 1979 when Raleigh Cardiology was started by Drs. Cheely and Mangano cardiovascular care was in its infancy, and WakeMed was not on the radar screen to become a Cardiovascular Center of Excellence. WakeMed and its physician partners have consistently offered high quality care and top-notch facilities that feature amenities like a hotel on the third floor. And, WakeMed’s administration has consistently worked to meet the needs of North Carolina and reach underserved areas in our state with services like Mobile Critical Care, which functions as a critical care unit on wheels or in the air.

Raleigh Cardiology has grown to include nine physicians that do everything from consultative cardiology to cardiac catheterization and intervention to management of vascular disease and heart rhythm pacing. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our patients, and staff both in our office and at WakeMed for making these past 30 years very successful. We look forward to serving North Carolinians for at least 30 more.

A Sweet Heart

Heather Monackey — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:58:27 +0000

Dr. Joel Schneider, a cardiologist with Wake Heart & Vascular Associates, recently received a pleasant surprise from his patient, Gloria Whitley of Nashville, NC. Whitley presented Dr. Schneider with a sweet potato in the shape of an anatomically correct heart! “When I gave it to Dr. Schneider, his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree,” said Whitley. “He asked me if he could keep it, and I said ‘Absolutely, it’s a gift.” The hearty sweet potato was grown in Nash County.

Look for the sweet potato in the next issue of Heart to Heart, a magazine for heart patients and friends of the WakeMed Heart Center. Click here to subscribe.