The Heart of a Champion

From Shortness of Breath to Dancing the Twist!

When it comes to finishing in first place, Jim Christensen is well-versed. Jim's list of first place finishes seems endless - waterskiing, bowling, baseball, boxing, racing, dancing - you name it and he's won it.  True to form, first-place-Jim was the first patient to undergo a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure at St. Joseph's Medical Center. 
 
"I couldn't walk across a room, before having to stop and catch my breath," explained Jim, who  was suffering from a life-threatening condition called  severe aortic valve stenosis. 

Instead of traditional open heart surgery to fix his valve, Jim was able to qualify for TAVR. This less invasive procedure uses a catheter to insert a new valve within the native diseased aortic valve, via a small incision in the leg. 

Jim had the TAVR procedure performed in the new Cardiac Hybrid Suite at St. Joseph's Medical Center and after a short stay in the hospital, he was back home and "ready to do the twist."

Learn more about the TAVR procedure by visiting StJosephsCares.org/TAVR.
Do your
Heart a Favor.

Your heart has taken you a long way.
Isn't it time you returned the favor?

If you've been told that you have a heart murmur, leaky heart valve, or any type of heart valve disease, come hear our heart valve team talk about aortic stenosis and the latest advancements in heart valve treatment options. You'll have an opportunity to speak with the doctors and ask questions. 

You're invited!
Thursday, May 18, 2017 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Hilton Stockton | 2323 Grand Canal Blvd, Stockton

This event is FREE but space is limited. Call 209.461.5235 to RSVP today.

St. Joseph's Heart & Vascular Institute
Advanced Heart Disease Clinic Team
Cyrus Buhari, DO | James Morrissey, MD | Amod Tendulkar, MD | Richard Waters, MD
April Randall, RN 

World's Smallest Pacemaker
Now Available at St. Joseph's

Miniaturized Heart Device Provides Patients with the Most Advanced Pacing Technology Available 

Image used courtesy of Medtronic.
St. Joseph's is proud to be one of the first hospitals in the state to offer the world's smallest pacemaker to help treat patients with bradycardia. The Micra® Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), is a new device that provides patients with the most advanced pacing technology at one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker.
 
Comparable in size to a large vitamin, the Micra® TPS is unlike traditional pacemakers because the device does not require cardiac wires (leads) or a surgical "pocket" under the skin to deliver a pacing therapy. The device is cosmetically invisible and it is small enough to be delivered through a catheter and implanted directly into the heart. It delivers electrical impulses that pace the heart, automatically adjusting pacing therapy based on a person's activity.

To learn more about St. Joseph's advancements in cardiovascular care, visit StJosephsCares.org/Heart.

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