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Cardiac Risk Assessment
At Mesa General Hospital:
The Right Hands for a Troubled Heart
When it comes to heart care, Mesa General Hospital ranks
among the best. Our caring team of cardiology experts offers
a broad spectrum of heart services. Mesa General Hospital,
in conjunction with an independent cardiac catheterization
lab located on the campus of the hospital, offers the following
services:
• Open-heart surgeries
• Robotic technology
• Diagnostic catheterization
• Vascular surgery
• Coronary angioplasty
• Angioplasty (ballooning)
• Vascular angiography
• Coronary stents
• Drug-eluting stents
• Valve replacement/repair
• Abdominal aortic endoluminal stent grafts
• Thoracic endoluminal stent grafts
• Pacemakers
• Defibrillators
• Carotid stent placement
• Patent poramen ovale closure
• Atrial septal defect closure
• Cardiac ablation
• Emergency interventional procedures
• Electrophysiology
• Echocardiography
• Stress- testing
• Intravascular ultrasound
• Intracardiac echocardiography
• Excimer laser lead removal
• Biventricular pacing
• Early detection/preventative care
For more information about cardiac services at Mesa
General Hospital, call (480) 844-6245.
Signs
of a Heart Attack
Minutes do matter during a heart attack.
The most important rule is to seek medical help as soon as
you feel some of these symptoms. Delaying treatment can be
a fatal mistake.
- Chest discomfort. Uncomfortable pressure,
squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest that
lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes
back.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.
Pain or discomfort may be felt in one or both arms, the
back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath. May occur with or
without chest discomfort.
- Other signs: These may include breaking
out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or
discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to
experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly
shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially
with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than
a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling for help.
Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.
* Information courtesy of The American Heart
Association
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Cardiac
Catheterization, Angiography, and Interventional Lab
The cardiac catheterization, angiography,
and interventional lab* at Mesa General Hospital provides
patients with much needed, specialized vascular procedures.
The physicians who utilize this facility come from a reputable
cardiology group practicing across the entire state of Arizona.
Mesa General Hospital's cardiac staff is trained extensively
in critical care. Our affiliation with the cardiac catheterization,
angiography, and interventional lab is symbolic of our commitment
to provide the best services for our community.
During time-sensitive cardiac events, the emergency department-
working closely with a cardiologist – can send a patient
suffering from severe chest pain directly to the catheterization
laboratory for accurate diagnosing and intervention, without
having to transfer the patient to another hospital. In addition
to cardiac procedures, the catheterization lab has the ability
to do other important vascular imaging and radiology-based
procedures. Images obtained in the suite allow physicians
to accurately detect problems an appropriately plan treatments.
* The cardiac catheterization, angiography, and interventional
lab is operated under the license of Advanced Cardiac Specialists
(ACS).
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About
da Vinci Surgical System
Mesa General Hospital provides cutting-edge
technology, including the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System.
In fact, Mesa General Hospital performed the first Coronary
Artery Bypass Procedure in the entire Southwest United States
using this technology.
The da Vinci® Surgical System is powered
by state-of-the-art robotic technology. The System allows
your surgeon’s hand movements to be scaled, filtered
and translated into precise movements of micro-instruments
within the operative site. The magnified, three-dimensional
view the surgeon experiences enables him to perform precise
surgery in complex procedures through small surgical incisions.
The da Vinci® System enhances surgical
capabilities by enabling the performance of complex surgeries
through tiny surgical openings. The System cannot be programmed
nor can it make decisions on its own. The da Vinci® System
requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct
input from your surgeon.
 
Robotic-assisted minimally invasive
cardiac procedures avoid the drawbacks of traditional heart
surgery, including blood loss, pain and scarring that typically
result from cutting through the breastbone and opening the
ribs.
The da Vinci® System offers breakthrough capabilities
that enable surgeons to operate through smaller incisions
made between the ribs.
As a result, the da Vinci Surgical System is changing the
practice of cardiac surgery as it's known today. Data suggests
that recovery time, pain and trauma are reduced significantly
through this less invasive approach.
For most patients, minimally invasive cardiac procedures
performed with the da Vinci Surgical System can offer numerous
potential benefits over open-chest surgery, including:
• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain and scarring
• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Faster recovery
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da
Vinci® Surgical System Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Why is the product called the da Vinci®
Surgical System?
A. The da Vinci System is called "da Vinci" in part
because Leonardo da Vinci invented the first robot. da Vinci
also used unparalleled anatomical accuracy and three-dimensional
details to bring his masterpieces to life. The da Vinci Surgical
System similarly provides physicians with such enhanced detail
and precision that the System can simulate an open surgical
environment while allowing operation through tiny incisions.
Intuitive Surgical developed the da Vinci® Surgical System
and Mesa General Hospital purchased this equipment in 2002.
Q. What is minimally invasive surgery (MIS)?
A. The term MIS can be used interchangeably with laparoscopy
or endoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is performed
through dime-sized (1-2 cm) incisions — also called
operating ports. This is in contrast to the much larger incisions
used in traditional, open surgery, which are often as large
as 6-12 inches long. In cardiac surgery, a conventional “open”
approach also involves splitting the breastbone and opening
the ribs.
The smaller incisions used in MIS typically enable shorter
recovery times and result in less pain, less blood loss, fewer
transfusions, fewer infections and reduced hospitalization
costs. While MIS has become standard-of-care for particular
surgical procedures, it has not been widely adopted for more
complex or delicate procedures – for example, prostatectomy
and mitral valve repair.
Intuitive Surgical believes that surgeons have been slow
to adopt MIS for complex procedures because they find that
fine-tissue manipulation — such as dissecting and suturing
— is more difficult and less precise using traditional
MIS (laparoscopy or endoscopic surgery) than with open surgery.
Intuitive Surgical's technology, however, enables the use
of MIS technique for complex procedures.
Q. What are the benefits of using the da Vinci
Surgical System when compared with traditional methods of
surgery?
A. Some of the major benefits experienced by surgeons using
the da Vinci Surgical System over traditional approaches have
been greater surgical precision, increased range of motion,
improved dexterity, enhanced visualization and improved access.
Benefits experienced by patients may include a shorter hospital
stay, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss,
fewer transfusions, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker
return to normal daily activities. None of these benefits
can be guaranteed, as surgery can be both patient- and procedure-specific.
Q. Is this "robotic surgery"?
A. Although the general term "robotic surgery" is
often used to refer to our technology, this term can give
the impression that the robot (the da Vinci System) is performing
the surgery. In contrast, the da Vinci Surgical System cannot
— in any manner — run on its own. Instead, the
System is designed to seamlessly replicate the movement of
the surgeon's hands with the tips of micro-instruments. The
System cannot make decisions, nor can it perform any type
of movement or maneuver without the surgeon’s direct
input.
Q. Will the da Vinci Surgical System make the
surgeon unnecessary?
A. Absolutely not. On the contrary, the da Vinci System is
designed to help surgeons advance their technique by enhancing
their ability to perform complex minimally invasive surgery.
The System replicates the surgeon's movements in real time.
It cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its
own to move the surgical instruments.
Q. Is a surgeon using the da Vinci System operating
in "virtual reality"?
A. While he/she is seated at a console a few feet away from
the patient, the surgeon views an actual image of the surgical
field while operating in real-time, through tiny incisions,
using electromechanically enhanced instruments. At no time
does the surgeon see a virtual image or program/command the
system to perform any maneuver on its own/outside of the surgeon's
direct, real-time control.
Q. While using the da Vinci Surgical System,
can the surgeon feel anything inside the patient's chest or
abdomen?
A. The system relays some force feedback sensations from the
operative field back to the surgeon throughout the procedure.
This force feedback provides a substitute for tactile sensation.
This feedback is augmented by the enhanced vision provided
by the high-resolution 3D view.
Q. Why can't surgeons perform complex procedures
such as cardiac surgery through 1-2 cm ports today?
A. Complex procedures like cardiac surgery require an excellent
view of the operative field and the ability to maneuver instruments
within the chest cavity, abdomen or pelvis with precision
and control. Surgeons historically have used the "open
sternotomy" approach to heart surgery, which means splitting
the sternum (breastbone) and pulling back the ribs —
which typically requires a foot-long incision. This provides
visibility and allows room for the surgeon to get his hands
and instruments very close to the operative site.
More recently, smaller incisions have been used to perform
a variety of cardiac procedures. However, many cardiac surgeons
feel the reduced access may limit visualization and may impede
access to the operative field. In contrast, the da Vinci System’s
unique EndoWrist Instruments and InSite Vision System can
provide better control, dexterity and visualization than with
an open procedure.
Q. Has the da Vinci Surgical System been cleared
by the FDA?
A. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared
the da Vinci Surgical System for a wide range of procedures.
Q: Where is the da Vinci Surgical System being
used now?
A: Currently, the da Vinci Surgical System is currently being
used worldwide, in major centers in the United States, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, India, Japan,
the Netherlands, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia and Turkey. There are
more than 300 da Vinci Systems in use worldwide.
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Cardiac
Risk Assessment
Since heart disease is the number one killer of Americans,
it is important to continually monitor your risks factors
and to make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk. While there
are no guarantees that a heart-healthy lifestyle will keep
heart disease away, these changes can improve your overall
health and your physical and emotional well-being.
Your risk for heart disease may be determined by the number
of risk factors present, and whether those risk factors are
higher than average.
Learn more about your risk for heart disease by completing
the this Cardiac Risk Assessment.
Your questionnaire will be reviewed by a qualified member
of our cardiology staff, and you will receive a letter of
assessment and information regarding resources available in
your area.
Click
here to take the Cardiac Risk Assessment.
Mesa General Hospital
515 North Mesa Drive
Mesa, Arizona 85201
(480) 969-9111
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