Bethesda Heart Hospital Completes Advanced Endovascular Suite

Years in the planning, the new suite offers today’s most sophisticated technology, with room for future advancements  

Boca Raton, FL – Bethesda Heart Hospital’s new advanced hybrid  endovascular suite features state-of-the-art technology that will benefit patients with speedier, more  precise care when facing complex cardiac and vascular conditions. 

Bethesda Heart Hospital, located on the campus of Bethesda Hospital East, a part of Baptist Health South  Florida, is now the first in Palm Beach County — and one of few in the nation — to feature the highly  sophisticated Azurion with FlexArm imaging system by Philips. The suite also includes the first  commercial release of Philips Xper3 information management system for physio-monitoring, reporting,  inventory and data management.  

“Delivering truly outstanding care requires our clinical teams to be at the forefront of the latest  developments in medicine,” says Nelson Lazo, CEO of Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital  West. “Access to quality imaging solutions is key to getting faster diagnosis and treatment, which will  enable us to enhance care.” 

Azurion with FlexArm represents a significant advancement because it allows unprecedented image  quality from a wide variety of angles, using a pivoting C-arm and gantry suspended from the ceiling. The  FlexArm rotates on no less than eight axes to create virtually unlimited imaging options from head to toe  for both two- and three-dimensional visualizations. That flexibility frees up medical teams to choose the  best working position without the need to reposition the patient or adjust the operating table, important  safety and time considerations. 

The system was designed following three years of research at Baptist Health’s Miami Cardiac & Vascular  Institute. “With FlexArm, Philips’ engineers have overcome near-impossible geometric and mechanical  barriers,” said Barry T. Katzen, M.D., founder and chief medical executive of the Institute, where the first  FlexArm in North America was installed. “We can get the optimal view of what’s going on inside the  patient without encumbering all of the clinicians that are working around the table.”  

Image-guided therapy, in which treatment is performed through a small incision and guided by imaging  technology, is increasingly replacing open surgery for the treatment of many diseases. Patients experience less trauma and, as a result, their hospital stay can be dramatically reduced. They often return home after  one night in the hospital, and may even leave the hospital on the same day. 

Correspondingly, the procedures are also becoming more complex, requiring more physicians from  different disciplines to be at the patient’s tableside, working together in a highly coordinated way.  Clinicians need to be able to quickly and easily visualize critical anatomy and identify changes to the  patient during procedures.  

The new suite can seamlessly accommodate both minimally invasive procedures and traditional open  surgery, allowing clinicians to pivot in their surgical planning when necessary. 

The new advanced endovascular suite will be used for more complex procedures such as transcatheter  aortic valve replacements (TAVR), mitral valve clip repairs, left atrial appendage occlusion surgeries and  thoracic aneurysm repairs. “We have a great staff of medical experts including Dr. George Daniel,  interventional cardiologist, and Dr. Geoffrey Lynn, cardiothoracic surgeon, who are very eager to care for  patients using this latest technology,” said Jane Kiah, assistant vice president, Bethesda Hospital East. “Our goal is always to provide the highest quality care and have the most successful outcomes possible.” 

“It’s a major addition that expands our capacity to serve the needs of this community,” added George  Daniel, M.D. “This new room is built to carry us into the future. It is designed with the flexibility to  accommodate new equipment and technology as new procedures are developed.” 

The new suite was made possible through philanthropic support from the Bethesda Hospital Foundation,  which embraced the vision for new technology. “Our Foundation worked very hard for several years to  secure support for this suite, and the community is very excited to see it come to fruition,” added Barbara  James, executive director of Bethesda Hospital Foundation.  

About Bethesda Hospital East and West 

Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West are part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest  healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, nearly 23,000 employees, more than 4,000  physicians and more than 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning  across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally  renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and  neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network;  and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by  philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health  has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by  Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. 

For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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