Progressive Cardiovascular Care at Northwest

If you think you need to travel hundreds of miles for advanced cardiovascular care, you should know that Northwest Health System’s comprehensive Cardiovascular Program – which includes everything from some of healthcare’s most sophisticated cardiac imaging systems, state-of-the-art interventional cardiology (angioplasty, stents, etc.), traditional heart surgery and the latest minimally invasive procedures – is performing many of the most progressive procedures available anywhere, such as:

• Northwest Arkansas’ first minimally invasive mitral valve repair, which is an alternative to open-heart surgery and leaves only a small incision between the ribs. So you can recover faster and get back to your life sooner.
  
• The region’s first (and most prolific) surgeon performing the minimally invasive MiniMaze procedure – to correct atrial fibrillation (a rapidly quivering or fluttering heartbeat). Only two surgeons in the entire state of Arkansas perform this procedure, and the surgeon who does the most MiniMazes does them at Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville. MiniMaze is a revolutionary way to correct atrial fibrillation without a long hospital stay. So your heartbeat returns to normal, and you return to your life with less pain, less scarring and less time away from home.
  
• Northwest Arkansas’ first CT Angiography, via the 64-slice CT scanner – providing superior non-invasive cardiac/coronary imaging and 3-D modeling.
  
• The region’s most advanced digital Cardiac Catheterization suites.

Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular Surgery – A Growing Trend
“More minimally invasive approaches are rapidly becoming sought-after options for the treatment of atrial fibrillation and mitral valve disease in particular because they offer a means of access to restore normal cardiac function that allows patients to heal faster, with less pain and surgical impact on the body,” said J. Russell Davis, M.D., a board-certified thoracic surgeon who specializes in open-heart surgery, vascular and thoracic surgery. Dr. Davis is a member of the active medical staff at Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville and is one of only two surgeons in the state of who perform the MiniMaze procedure. He also is the first in our region to perform minimally invasive mitral vale repair.

About Atrial Fibrillation and the Mini-Maze Procedure
The latest interventional procedure to treat Atrial Fibrillation (AF), generally characterized as a rapidly fluttering or quivering heartbeat, is the minimally invasive operation called the MiniMaze. AF is widely known as the most common heart rhythm disorder that usually involves a rapid heart rate. The MiniMaze was developed by Randall K. Wolf, M.D., professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Surgical Innovation. This new surgical procedure allows surgeons to treat AF without performing open-heart surgery. AF affects an estimated 2.5 million patients in the with approximately 300,000 new cases diagnosed per year. AF is second only to heart failure in terms of cardiac-related hospitalizations.

A Patient Success Story
Billie Runestrand’s family affectionately refers to her as a “72-year old pistol.” She lives in Bella Vista and is an avid golfer who works out regularly.

But recent heart issues put a damper on her active lifestyle. She began suffering from sudden, unexpected heart spasms – some of them lasting up to 24 hours and was diagnosed with severe atrial fibrillation – a heart rhythm disorder that usually involves a rapid heart rate – affecting an estimated 2.5 million Americans, with approximately 300,000 new cases diagnosed per year. She decided to check out a relatively new procedure her Cardiologist told her about – the MiniMaze.

Dismayed by the news, Ms. Runestrand’s children in California urged her to seek a remedy there, on the assumption that she would be unable to find a surgeon in who was experienced with such an innovative procedure.

But after researching the subject and meeting with Dr. Davis, both Ms. Runestrand and her family felt comfortable that her heart was in the right place – and the right hands.

In March, Ms. Runestrand became one of the first people in Northwest Arkansas to undergo the MiniMaze surgery for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

“I have my life back,” said Ms. Runestrand. “It’s only been three months since the surgery, but I am playing 18 holes of golf and working out at the gym again.”

About Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair
Typically, mitral valve damage affects older Americans damage due to changes in the heart valve structure. In fact, approximately, 60,000 patients require some form of mitral valve repair this year alone. Northwest Health System’s minimally invasive approach for mitral valve surgery provides several important benefits to patients.

"We reduce the trauma and pain associated with open-chest surgery and improve quality of life for patients," stated Dr. Davis, "And eliminating the larger incision greatly reduces post-operative discomfort and enables patients to quickly begin a much shorter recovery process."

Currently, Northwest Health System’s patients are comfortably managed on a four-day care map versus the traditional 7-10 days required with most open-heart procedures, allowing patients to recover faster. In as little as two weeks, patients have resumed day-to-day activities and even returned to their jobs.

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery also dramatically improves cosmetic results. Traditional open procedures require a 10-inch chest scar, whereas the Northwest Health System technique results in a substantially smaller, less visible "keyhole" incision on the side of the chest. For many women, the scar is almost unnoticeable as it may be underneath the breast.

About J. Russell Davis, M.D.
J. Russell Davis, M.D. is board-certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery and specializes in open-heart surgery, vascular and thoracic surgery, including repair of thoracic aneurysms as well as treating lung-related diseases.  He also performs minimally invasive surgeries for hyperhydrosis, atrial fibrillation and gastro-esophageal reflux as well as the MAZE procedure.  Dr. Davis completed his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.  He completed his undergraduate education at Tulane University and received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine.  He completed his general surgery residency at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, where he received the Resident of the Year Award, the Resident Award in Trauma Surgery and the Mercer University Resident Teaching Award.  He has also been featured on “Trauma-Life in the ER” and “Code Blue” which has been broadcast on The Learning Channel.