Woman, 81, gets new heart repair treatment

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Cardiologists at St. Francis Hospital’s Heart Center in Roslyn successfully performed a pioneering cardiac procedure called SESAME for an 81-year-old woman, the first time the procedure was conducted in the Northeast.

SESAME is a non-invasive catheter treatment for heart repair through advanced novel techniques and specialized imaging. It was developed by Jaffar Khan, director of Interventional Electro-Surgery at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, and individuals from the National Institutes of Health and Emory University. The procedure is currently only offered at three healthcare facilities.

“This innovative therapy gives us an opportunity to save more lives through minimally invasive technology and clinical expertise,” Charles Lucore, president of St. Francis Hospital, said. “Our cardiologists and clinical staff are among the best in their field, advancing cardiac procedures so patients can heal and recover, getting back to their lives.”

Khan said the imaging technology allows the physician to see where they are as they cut along the heart’s septal area – a wall that separates the right and left ventricles in the heart.

“This is one of the most promising therapies in interventional cardiology, allowing for greater