New Hybrid Endovascular Suite Offers Care for Complex Cardiovascular Conditions

With the recent opening of a state-of-the-art hybrid endovascular suite at Baptist Health South Miami Hospital, minimally invasive and complex cardiovascular procedures can take place in an operating room environment. The suite supports the comprehensive cardiovascular program at the hospital and is part of a growth initiative underway at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute.

“With the new suite, we are able to offer the community the breadth of transcatheter interventions for valvular heart disease,” said Lowie Van Assche, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and director of the Structural Heart Program at South Miami Hospital. “It will also allow us to offer cutting-edge clinical trials.”

 Lowie Van Assche, M.D., interventional cardiologist and director of the Structural Heart Program at Baptist Health South Miami Hospital

Suite offers spectacular imaging and greatly reduced radiation

The room is equipped with the most sophisticated technology, including a flexible-arm imaging system that features advanced cardiac and vascular analytic tools, intra-vascular ultrasound and hemodynamic physiologic testing capabilities. The Institute’s Baptist Hospital location was the first North American site to install the new equipment, which, among other benefits, allows for the greater integration of imaging data.

“This technology provides us with spectacular imaging with significantly reduced radiation to everyone in the room ― the patient, the physicians, nurses and all of the staff,” said Nish Patel, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at the Institute.

Minimally invasive procedure for aortic valve replacement

Among the procedures that will be done in the new suite are structural heart interventions, which are procedures that deal with heart valves and major structures of the heart, including valve replacement and repair. Occlusions, or blockages, of blood vessels, will also be opened to restore circulation to the body.

South Miami Hospital has been performing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) since 2019. A minimally invasive procedure used to replace the heart’s aortic valve, it does not require general anesthesia and is a particularly good option for patients considered high risk for open cardiac surgery. Physicians reach the heart through a tiny incision in the groin instead of opening the chest.

Multidisciplinary approach leads to better patient outcomes

Known for pioneering minimally invasive procedures that have transformed the course of cardiovascular medicine worldwide, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute was built on a foundation of comprehensive multidisciplinary care with a variety of specialists working side by side. It was not a common approach 37 years ago when the Institute opened.

Nish Patel, M.D., interventional cardiologist at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute

“This team approach is very important because many of the patients we treat have complex conditions,” Dr. Patel said.

“There are multiple ways to treat a patient and we bring together interventional cardiologists, clinical cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and radiologists to evaluate each patient with unique care and consideration to offer the best approach that will result in the best possible outcome for the patient,” Dr. Van Assche added.

Also noteworthy is that many of the South Miami Hospital employees who work in the endovascular suite, including sonographers, nurses and advanced practice providers, have deep experience, with 20 years or more in the field.

In addition to offering the most sophisticated technology, the new suite will enable the Institute to treat more patients at South Miami Hospital without having to transfer them to the Institute’s Baptist Hospital location for more comprehensive and complex care. The suite also features an advanced air handling and cleaning system that uses indigo lighting for continuous disinfection.

For more information about Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care, click here.