3D Images of a Beating Heart “3D Echo gives us information that we have simply never had before,” explains Harry B. Peled, M.D., Medical Director of Critical Care. “It is allowing our physicians to significantly improve both the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of heart conditions.” As one of the only hospitals in Southern California to offer this noninvasive technology, St. Jude cardiologists have the unique ability to see the heart valves, vessels and chambers in action – and can “slice” the images to get progressive views through the entire heart. Conventional live 3D imaging has been available for over 10 years, but has never been able to capture instantaneous images of the beating heart until now. Innovations offered by Live 3D Echo:
Sacred Encounters Surviving a Stroke
The 77-year-old retired businessman spent the next six weeks fighting - and winning - the battle for his life. The obstacles were enormous ranging from a severe brain bleed to complications of pneumonia and a blood clot in his lungs. He doesn’t remember the first weeks spent in St. Jude’s ICU. Even memories of the physician from the ER who began treatment, the neurosurgeon who operated to relieve the pressure on his brain and the intensivists who provided 24/7 medical management in the ICU were a bit of a blur. Once out of the Intensive Care Unit, Blake’s memories become clearer. He was more aware of his personal physician, Ruben Cabral, M.D., who visited him daily, the nurses he describes as “outstanding, I mean absolutely fabulous,” and the five-star mashed potatoes, which he ordered nearly every day. Five days before Christmas, Blake walked out of the hospital, completed several weeks of outpatient physical therapy at St. Jude, and then packed his bags for a long-planned cruise to the Caribbean. After he returned he resumed his active schedule of weekly Rotary Club meetings and serving on the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors. According to Dr. Cabral, the internist who has cared for Blake for years, three factors created his truly amazing recovery: luck (and having a friend who recognized the symptoms and called 911), sheer determination, and the wonderful care available today. “Every complication Jim faced was met with highly specialized care,” he explains, “the type of care that allows lives to be saved, even when the statistics say otherwise.” Even before the stroke, Blake felt blessed to have St. Jude in his own backyard, which he says is the reason why he has made several gifts to the hospital over the years. “We are extremely fortunate to have St. Jude, a hospital at the very forefront of medicine,” he explains. “It is difficult to put into words all that St. Jude has done for this community.” Top Healthiest Communities St. Jude Centers for Rehabilitation and Wellness
New services and features of the Rehabilitation and Wellness Center include:
|
|
