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Clinical Programs
The Heart Center of New Jersey
Medical Director, Abel Moreyra, MD
The Heart Center of New Jersey is a cutting edge multidisciplinary hospital
within a hospital specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular
diseases. The Center offers the newest cardiovascular diagnostic tests
and medical, surgical and device therapies and is easily accessible via
the Cardiac Emergency Center, Admitting Office, or Transfer Center (with
ground or air transport for patients with and without intra-aortic balloon
support). The Heart Center of New Jersey can accept and treat patients
with optimal services. Physicians can transfer patients from any hospital
in the tri-state area by call our 24-hour Transfer Center.
The Heart Center of New Jersey carries out clinical, educational and
research activities in the following areas:
The Cardiac Emergency Center
Medical Director, Sebastian Palmeri, MD
The Cardiac Emergency Center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for
the evaluation and emergency treatment of patients with cardiovascular
diseases.
- It is accessible by emergency ground transportation as well as by
helicopter air transport.
- Patients who develop chest pain, chest discomfort, shortness of breath,
dizziness, palpitations, swelling, or episodes of loss of consciousness
should be immediately brought to the Robert Wood Johnson University
Hospital's Cardiac Emergency Center for evaluation and emergency treatment.
Cardiac Care and Heart Center Units
Medical Director, Sebastian Palmeri, MD
Director of Cardiac Telemetry, Archana Patel, MD
The Cardiac Care Unit and the Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit care
for acutely ill patients who are hemodynamically unstable, have life-threatening
rhythm disturbances, or are in recovery from cardiac surgery.
- Temporary transvenous pacemakers are available to treat patients with
symptomatic bradycardia (slow heart rate).
- Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation devices are available to assist
the failing heart.
- 4 East, West and Tower provide less intensive but highly specialized
medical and surgical cardiac care for conditions including
- Myocardial infarction
- Congestive heart failure
- Significant rhythm disturbances
Stress Test / Exercise Physiology Laboratory
Medical Director, Sebastian Palmeri, MD
The Stress Test Laboratory at the Heart Center of New Jersey is equipped
with the latest sophisticated equipment and technology for the diagnosis
of heart disease with and without adjunctive radionuclide imaging. Testing
available at the laboratory includes:
- Exercise stress testing utilizing treadmill or bicycle
- Pharmacological stress testing utilizing adenosine, dobutamine or
dipyridamole
- Exercise stress testing with Thallium and/or Sestamibi perfusion studies
- SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography) perfusion imaging
- Exercise echocardiography
- Cardiopulmonary (Metabolic Cart) exercise testing
- Cardiac MRI pharmacologic stress testing
Echocardiography Laboratory
Director, Daniel Shindler, MD
Director Digital Echo, Lilian Cohen, MD
The Echocardiography Laboratory services include:
- Two-dimensional and Doppler transthoracic echocardiography with and
without contrast for adult and pediatric patients
- Stress echocardiography, including bicycle and treadmill exercise,
as well as adenosine, dobutamine and dipyridamole adjunctive pharmacotherapy.
- Perfusion studies with echo contrast
- Transesophageal echocardiography, including outpatient, inpatient
and intraoperative procedures with and without contrast.
- Online Echocardiography
Journal
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Director, Meir Shinnar, MD, PhD
The cardiac MRI Laboratory provides the full spectrum of diagnostic cardiac
magnetic resonance imaging services including:
- Anatomic / morphologic assessment
- Viablility studies
- Functional studies
- Stress wall motions and perfusion studies
- Quantitative flow studies for quantifying valve disease
- Coronary MR angiography (currently limited indication)
- MR angiography of thoracic aorta
- Cardiac MRI research (especially angiography and plaque characterization)
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac Procedures
Director, Abel Moreyra, MD
Director, Interventional Cardiology, Jai Agarwal, MD
Director, Intravascular Imaging, Tudor Vagaonescu, MD
Diagnostic and therapeutic invasive cardiac procedures are performed
in the ultra-modern Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories. The Heart Center
of New Jersey, licensed for five catheterization laboratories, currently
performs over 5,000 procedures annually. Atherosclerotic narrowing of
coronary arteries may be treated with medications or by mechanical interventions
including:
- PTCA
- DCA (directional coronary atherectomy)
- Coronary Brachytherapy (radiation)
- Intravascular Stents (a miniature metal scaffold)
Cardiac Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Program
Director, Kataneh Maleki, MD
The Cardiac Arrhythmia Center is a state-of-the-art resource at the Heart
Center of New Jersey, spanning inpatient and outpatient activities. Comprehensive
services related to disorders of the heart rate and rhythm are provided,
including diagnostic studies and therapeutic cardiac electrophysiology
procedures including:
- Electrocardiography services, including 12-lead electrocardiography,
vector cardiography, signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) and
ambulatory electrocardiography (Holter and event monitoring)
- Cardiac pacemaker and defibrillator program, including transtelephonic
pacemaker monitoring and arrhythmia device evaluation and programming.
- Autonomic function testing, including tilt testing and evaluation
of heart rate variability.
- Electrical and chemical cardioversion.
- Radio-frequency transcatheter ablation,
- Insertion of temporary and permanent pacemakers
- Implantation of automatic defibrillators
Director, Luis Arroyo, MD
The Robert Wood Johnson Cardiac Transplantation and Assist Device Program
is an exciting new endeavor. Established in 1998, the program provides
the full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients
with left ventricular dysfunction, heart failure and heart transplantation.
The Center provides a systematic approach to heart failure patients and
the application of new diagnostic and therapeutic methods may result in
better care and improved outcomes. The focus is to decrease mortality
and need for hospitalization as well as an improvement in quality of life
and independent activities of daily living, an important issue especially
among the elderly. The Center spans inpatient and outpatient activities.
A multidisciplinary team of experienced transplant surgeons (Dr Mark
Anderson, and Dr Bernard Vasseur), cardiologists (Dr Ronald Freudenberger
and Dr Meir Shinnar), transplant coordinators and other personnel has
been formed. The program employs several full-time nurse coordinators,
full-time counselors, a secretary, and multiple part-time counselors.
Offices are located in the Clinical Academic Building 6th Floor.
Heart Failure Evaluation and Treatment Program
Director, Lui Arroyo, MD
Comprehensive services for inpatients and outpatients are provided, including:
- Specialized drug and device therapies
- Cardiac metabolic evaluations
- Myocardial biopsy procedures
Heart Transplantation and Assist Device Program
Medical Director, Luis Arroyo, MD
The full spectrum of diagnostic evaluations and state-of-the-art surgical
and medical therapies is provided for patients prior to, during and following
heart transplantation. This comprehensive program includes:
- Infectious diseases
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
- Social services support
To complement the surgical options for patients with end stage heart
failure, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are being used as a bridge
to transplant.
Cardiac Exercise Rehabilitation Training (C.E.R.T.) and Support Groups
Medical Director, Alan Tannenbaum, MD
The Heart Center of New Jersey has an extensive Cardiac Exercise Rehabilitation
Training (CERT) program for patients following heart attack or bypass
surgery at its attractive heart fitness center to maintain autonomy, mobility,
and gain emotional and social support:
- For individuals with heart disease
- For family members of patients with heart disease
- For patients who have had implantation of cardioverter defibrillators
for life threatening rhythm disturbances
Integrated networks of multi-disciplinary specialists provide:
- Physical therapy
- Nutritional counseling
- Rehabilitation therapy
- Visiting nurse and home care aid
The Center for Coronary Disease Reversal
Directors, Sebastian T. Palmeri, MD and John B. Kostis, MD
Established in the 1970's, the Center for Coronary Artery Disease Reversal
has carried out pioneer work in the field. In 1979 the Center published
probably the first clinical research indicating that coronary artery disease
can be stabilized or reversed [Kuo et al., in Circulation 59:199-211 (1979)].
The Center focuses on meticulous control of risk factors for coronary
artery disease combined with modern pharmacotherapy and surgical or catheter
intervention when needed. The Center works closely with the Lipid Disorder
Center where a state-of-the-art lipid laboratory is located as well as
with the Cardiac Exercise Rehabilitation Training (CERT) program of the
Heart Center of New Jersey. The Center attracts referrals from physicians
within central New Jersey as well as from other parts of the country and
abroad. It carries out research both in the basic pathophysiology of coronary
atherosclerosis as well as intensive clinical research in the pharmacologic
therapy of hyperlipidemias.
Medical Director, Alan K. Tannenbaum, MD
Scientific Director, Alan C. Wilson, Ph.D
The Lipid Disorder Center is a University based referral center for the
State of New Jersey for the diagnosis and treatment of hyperlipidemia
and the primary and secondary prevention of coronary atherosclerosis (CAD).
The Lipid Metabolism Laboratory is located in the Medical Education Building.
The Laboratory provides routine and specialized lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis
risk factor testing. Lipid and Nutrition Clinics provide comprehensive
outpatient evaluation and management of hyperlipidemia, nutritional evaluation
and dietary consultation.
The Center actively cooperates with the RWJ University Hospital in their
Community Outreach, and the Middlesex County Health Department in their
programs, providing support for community based cholesterol screening
and atherosclerosis risk factor education.
Comprehensive Hypertension Evaluation and Treatment Program
Director, Dan Shindler, MD
Services include:
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- Evaluation and treatment of primary and secondary forms of hypertension
Cardiology Inpatient Care
Dr. Tannenbaum, the inpatient hospitalist provides consultations and
patient care for inpatients of the Heart Center of New Jersey at Robert
Wood Johnson University Hospital. The University Cardiology Group (UCG)
provides state-of-the-art acute coronary care in the Coronary Care Unit
and Emergency Department of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Inpatient
cardiac rhythm monitoring is performed on the telemetry floors.
Cardiac Inpatient Consultation Service
The inpatient consultation service at RWJUH provides consultative care
on a 24/7 basis. The Cardiology consultation service has a close working
relationship with faculty from Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery,
the General Medicine and Medical Subspecialty services, the Bone Marrow
Transplant and Leukemia-Lymphoma service, Kidney-Pancreas Transplant group,
and Heart Transplant team as well as many other physicians and services.
Patients are seen promptly and followed daily by the Cardiology Fellow
and Attending Faculty Physician. Cardiology Outpatient Consultation and
Patient Care
The Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension operates a busy
clinical practice as the University Cardiology Group (UCG), part of Robert
Wood Johnson University Medical Group. The full spectrum of outpatient
cardiology consultation and patient care services is provided. Outpatient
cardiology consultations and patient care are provided at the Clinical
Academic Building 5th Floor Cardiology offices - click
here to see the table for faculty/hours.
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