ADVANCED CARDIAC CARE Continued from Page 16
St. Clair’s Heart Team: On the forefront of cardiovascular care In 2018, Andy C. Kiser, M.D., FACS, FACC, FCCP, joined St. Clair as
appendage clips, to decrease the risk of stroke from A Fib. All this
Chief of Cardiac Surgery. An internationally recognized and vastly
innovation is intended to meet the expectations of the region. We are
experienced surgeon, Dr. Kiser is a pioneer whose innovative
providing the level of care that the region needs, and to do that we’ve had
approaches to valve disease and A Fib have contributed to the advancement
to transition to a far more advanced program.”
of treatment for these conditions. He developed the convergent
St. Clair’s sterling reputation has attracted top-notch, highly trained
hybrid ablation procedure for A Fib and has designed numerous medical
and experienced physicians. Recently, three new specialists have come
devices. With Dr. Kiser, St. Clair was able to offer procedures and
on board: Muhammad Salman, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon; George
interventions that had not previously been available, including TAVR.
Cater, M.D., imaging specialist; and Kyle Buchanan, M.D., an
His enthusiasm about the quality of care at St. Clair and the potential
interventionist who specializes in complex structural problems of the
for growth and improvement galvanized the entire team. Under his
heart. “Our ability to recruit physicians of this caliber is remarkable and
leadership, the expansion of the cardiac care program has been
sends a message to the community of our investment in the cardiac
accelerated, producing many advances and growth in breadth
program,” Dr. Kiser says. “It validates the quality of the program.”
and volume. “Other than transplantation, there isn’t anything we don’t do here at
The cardiac care team has a tremendous resource in the deeply experienced and extensively credentialed support staff: cardiac nurses,
St. Clair,” Dr. Kiser says. “We are doing a greater variety of interventions,
cath lab technicians, imaging technicians, respiratory therapists
including complex surgeries like TAVR. Dr. Liu is doing more complex
anesthesiologists and anesthetists, OR technicians, perfusionists, physician
ablations; he has a skill level that few have and that is bringing more
assistants and others. “A multidisciplinary team means better care for
patients to St. Clair, enabling us to expand. TAVR is a complex cardiac
our patients,” Dr. Kiser says. “This staff is outstanding. They’re totally
surgery and we do it frequently, along with pacemaker lead extractions,
invested; the entire team provides the best care possible.”
for pacemaker wires that fail or become infected. We’re doing left atrial
Three exceptional new specialists have recently joined the St. Clair Heart Team From left to right: interventional cardiologist, Kyle Buchanan, M.D., FACC, RPVI; cardiothoracic surgeon, Muhammad Salman, M.D., FACS; and non-invasive cardiologist and cardiac imaging specialist, George Cater, M.D., MSE, FACC.
18 I HouseCall I Volume XII Issue 2
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