Cooper’s cardiothoracic surgeons lead the region in the successful repairs of mitral valves using minimally invasive techniques, with no perioperative mortality in cases performed since August 2007. Now the gold standard for treating mitral valve disease, minimally invasive valve repair requires a high level of expertise and a dedicated team approach to the care of these patients.
“We’re successful because we work with outstanding cardiologists and have a tremendous cardiac care team, including fellowship-trained cardiac anesthesiologists and specially-trained nurses, clinicians and an entire team of intensivists working with us in the ICU and on the inpatient floors,” says Michael Rosenbloom, MD, FACS, FACC, Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cooper (pictured above).
Cooper’s state-of-the-art facilities include two specially equipped cardiac ORs, South Jersey’s first hybrid OR and a new 30-bed medical-surgical ICU with the latest in advanced technologies. Dr. Rosenbloom, along with his colleagues, Richard Y. Highbloom, MD, FACS and Frank W. Bowen, III, MD have performed the most minimally invasive mitral valve repair cases in South Jersey with more than 76 percent of isolated mitral valves being performed using minimally invasive techniques.
Candidates for minimally invasive mitral valve surgery include patients with: isolated mitral valve disease, mitral valve disease with atrial fibrillation, as well as selected cases of mitral-tricuspid disease.
Drs. Rosenbloom, Highbloom and Bowen frequently perform multiple surgical procedures with nearly a third of all of these surgeries also being performed minimally invasively.
According to Dr. Rosenbloom, the team is seeing more high-risk patients and people with multiple comorbidities, including heart failure and leaking mitral valves.
“We work closely with referring cardiologists and aggressively treat leaking mitral valves in patients with heart failure,” says Dr. Rosenbloom. “Because of this relationship, we are now seeing a significant increase in higher-risk patients.”
Drs. Rosenbloom, Highbloom and Bowen agree: Taking care of patients other surgeons won’t operate on is tremendously rewarding.
“We are seeing demonstrated, exceptional outcomes in some very sick patients,” adds Dr. Rosenbloom. “It is incredibly satisfying for us, our team and our patients.”