Press Releases

Minimally Invasive Operating Rooms Open at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital To Treat Atherosclerosis and Other Vascular Conditions

From left to right: Bruce Gantt, NYPH Vascular Service-line Administrator, Dr. K. Craig Kent, NYPH Vascular Surgery Division Chief, Dr. James F. McKinsey, NYPH Vascular Surgery Site Chief, Columbia, Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and Chief Executive Officer of NYPH. Photo by Marie Wallace

New York, NY (June 9, 2004) — The Division of Vascular Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has announced the opening of two new state-of-the-art surgical facilities dedicated to the minimally invasive treatment of atherosclerosis and other conditions of the vascular system. The facilities are located at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The new ORs offer diagnostic as well as therapeutic capabilities and feature Siemens AXIOM imaging equipment, which provides outstanding image quality with maximum possible radiation protection. The suites also feature LEONARDO workstations with flat screen technology for optimized radiographic evaluation and diagnosis, and are equipped with the latest video conferencing equipment to facilitate the broadcast of live cases for educational purposes.

"Minimally invasive surgery can mean quicker recovery and greater convenience for patients with a wide range of vascular conditions," says Dr. James McKinsey, Site Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia and Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Minimally invasive surgery, also known as endovascular surgery, involves treating problems within the blood vessels using catheters and requires only a very small incision or sometimes no incision at all.

"These new Endovascular Surgery Suites will specialize in minimally invasive endovascular surgery to repair peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a condition in which the arteries in the body become narrowed or clogged," says Dr. Craig Kent, Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.

PVD interferes with the normal flow of blood, sometimes causing pain but often causing no symptoms at all. Only about half of those with symptoms have been diagnosed with PVD and are seeing a doctor for treatment. PVD affects about one in 20 people over the age of 50, or 10 million Americans. The most common cause of PVD is atherosclerosis, which is often called "hardening of the arteries". Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which cholesterol and scar tissue build up, forming a substance called "plaque" that clogs the blood vessels. In some cases, PVD may be caused by blood clots that lodge in the arteries and restrict blood flow.

Conditions treated in the new Endovascular ORs will include narrowed arteries in the legs, kidneys and intestines, as well as aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta. Acute arterial and venous occlusions caused by blood clots will also be treated. Blockages in the carotid arteries will be treated with a new minimally invasive technique that may reduce the occurrence of stroke. Diagnostic studies that evaluate for arterial and venous disease will also be performed in the new ORs.