Blog

New Heart-Valve Procedure Now Available at Tulsa Hospital

A newly approved procedure that allows a heart valve to be replaced in patients who cannot tolerate open-heart surgery is now available in Tulsa.

The first two procedures in the area were performed last week at the Oklahoma Heart Institute. Doctors at St. Francis Health System are also preparing to perform what is called transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR."They went exactly as we expected and they (the patients) both were walking the day after the procedure," said Dr. Kamran Muhammad, an interventional cardiologist at Oklahoma Heart Institute.

TAVR involves the... Read More »

Stroke: What You Know Can Save Your Life

Most of us know someone who has suffered a stroke.  The consequences can be devastating: paralysis, speech impairment, loss of memory and reasoning ability, coma, or death.  Annually, greater than half a million Americans suffer the effects of stroke, and many of these events are preventable.  May is stroke awareness month, and a good time to discuss this frightening and sometimes fatal vascular problem.

Stroke occurs when blood flow to brain cells is suddenly interrupted. Without blood to supply oxygen and nutrients, brain cells quickly begin to die. The most common type of stroke... Read More »

First Look Inside TAVR Procedure

A newly approved procedure that allows a heart valve to be replaced in patients who cannot tolerate open-heart surgery is now available in Tulsa.

 

 

Have you been told open-heart surgery is your only option? Please join us for a free seminar presented by Dr. Kamran Muhammad to learn about this new, minimally-invasive procedure to treat of aortic stenosis (narrowing of the main heart valve). Click here for more details.

To attend this seminar, kindly RSVP to 918-585-8000 or click here to register online

Hybrid Lab Improves Cardiac Care Available in the Region

Oklahoma Heart Institute at Hillcrest Medical Center opens the first and only dedicated hybrid cardiac cath lab in the region. This hybrid lab allows for seamless integration of a traditional catheterization lab and cardiac operating room to provide multidisciplinary, collaborative care. Physicians can perform advanced procedures that would otherwise not be possible. The opening of the Hybrid Lab is in line with Oklahoma Heart Institute's mission of providing cutting edge cardiac care close to home.

Oklahoma Heart Institute First in Tulsa to Offer Minimally Invasive, Life-Saving Valve Replacement Therapy

TULSA, OK – On Wednesday, May 2, a team of Oklahoma Heart Institute (OHI) physicians, led by Drs. Kamran Muhammad, Wayne Leimbach, Jr., and Paul Kempe, performed the first successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in Tulsa.

TAVR is a minimally invasive, life-saving procedure for patients with aortic stenosis who would be considered too high a risk for traditional open heart procedures.

Aortic stenosis affects the aortic valve. In late stages of the disease, the valve does not properly open and close, causing the heart to work harder to push blood through the calcified... Read More »

Exercise May Help Patients With High Blood Pressure Live Longer

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Exercise reduced the risk of death in people with high blood pressure during the course of a new 12-year study.  The researchers also found that inactivity increased the risk of death during the study approximately the same amount as would an increase in blood pressure of 40 to 50 milligrams of mercury.

The 12-year study, which was presented this month at the World Congress of Cardiology, included more than 434,000 people in Taiwan. Of those participants, 54 percent were inactive, 22 percent had low activity levels and 24 percent had... Read More »

Tulsa Heart Walk is a Success

Saturday morning downtown Tulsa was buzzing with anticipation as the Tulsa Heart Walk was about to kickoff at 9am.  An estimated 6,000 participants met at ONEOK field to take team photos and get ready for the 5k walk. Walkers were challenged to raise money from family, friends, and co-workers for the American Heart Association.   To date, the Tulsa Heart Walk raised $661,948.  Money raised goes to advancing groundbreaking science through research, strengthening emergency cardiovascular care, and implement health programs in the community.

Hillcrest HealthCare System was well... Read More »

Convenient Answer For Painful Varicose Veins

Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist Dr. Robert Smith was interviewed in this KTUL Tulsa's Channel 8 story about the minimally invasive procedures used to treat varicose veins at OHI:

 

"As many Baby Boomers get on in age, they're more likely to experience the pain and cosmetic issues that go with varicose veins. Fortunately there's an answer to that problem that has proven to be very useful in recent years. It's call a vein ablation and it can be done during a lunch hour with some patients returning to work the very same day.

Jaunita Trammell is a nurse... Read More »

Sugar: A Spotlight on Glucotoxicity

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One of the big health discussions in the news this week is about a story which aired on 60 Minutes Sunday.  Popular medical journalist Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of clinical pediatrics and endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco.  Dr. Lustig says that sugar in any form is responsible for many of the illnesses plaguing Americans, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and even cancer.  Through the treatment of his own patients, sick and obese children, Dr. Lustig... Read More »

Chocolate Eaters are Thinner: New Study

According to a new study from the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, adults who eat chocolate on a regular basis are actually thinner than those who do not.  Chocolate, especially dark chocolate has long been associated with protecting the cardiovascular system and good for your overall heart health.  Researchers discovered the cocoa bean contains plant nutrients called “flavonoids”, which protect against environmental toxins and help repair damage.  In addition, research has shown flavonoids also help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow, which help... Read More »