Alegent Health Cardiology Blog

Door To Balloon

I just came out of the cath lab after doing an emergency coronary angiogram on a man suffering a heart attack. He is a youngish fellow (have you noticed how the term “young” keeps getting more generous as you get older?) with no prior heart problems, but with a bad cigarette habit and genes that are not favorable (a father suffered a heart attack at about the same age). We rushed him into the lab and prepped him for the procedure. As he lay on the table he seemed to … Continue reading →

Heart and Vascular Health Fair Quiz

The annual Alegent Heart and Vascular Health Fair is coming up soon. On Saturday, February 18, from 7 to 11 a.m., in the Bergan-Mercy Pavillion, you’ll be able to hang out with all kinds of specialists in the field of heart health. There will be booths and volunteers dedicated to every aspect of cardiac wellness just waiting for you to pose your hardest questions. You can undergo a cardiac risk assessment, get your blood pressure taken, your BMI measured, and chat with everyone from exercise therapists to weight management experts. … Continue reading →

All Men are Created Equal

I love living in Omaha. Sure, the winters can be miserable (this year being the obvious exception—this global warming thing ain’t so bad, eh?) with snow that falls sideways and potholes the size of national parks in Arizona. The corn fields can be beautiful in the right light but in my mind don’t quite rise to the majesty of the mountains and red rock of my native Utah. Worst of all, in my 8 years here I still haven’t converted to the local religion—Husker worship. Still, I love this place, … Continue reading →

An Open Letter About Electronic Medical Records

Last year I wrote a critique of the electronic medical record (EMR) my organization has adopted. I came down pretty hard on its user unfriendliness and overall clunkiness, and expressed dissatisfaction with the office note that served as the final product. In the ensuing months since I published my opinion I’ve come to be even more bothered by the weaknesses of not just our EMR, but the EMR landscape as a whole. In doing a little psychoanalysis on myself I’ve come to the conclusion that my strong feelings about the … Continue reading →

Starving Children in China

A few decades ago children all over this country were expected to polish off platefuls of brussel sprouts and broccoli when reminded of the starving children in China. My own mother didn’t employ this guilt trip very often, but even I remember being told how lucky I was to have a pile of droopy string beans when kids in Beijing were at that very moment scrounging the streets for scraps of food. Boy, how times have changed. A recent National Public Radio report highlighted a new problem faced by the … Continue reading →

Is My Stent Open?

Here’s a scenario that we cardiologists occasionally see. A patient comes into the hospital with chest pain. He goes to the cath lab where he’s seen to have 90% narrowing of one of his critical vessels, which his cardiologist opens with a small metal coil called a stent (see previous post for more information on how this is done). Several months later, the man begins having discomfort that is similar to his previous episode. He immediately wonders about his stent and heads straight to the ER. Another angiogram follows and … Continue reading →

2011 Year End Summary

This week marks the 3rd year in a row that I’ve published a new post every week without missing as much as a single deadline. All together this represents over 150 separate articles on a wide range of subjects which, if compiled in book form, would result in a thick, stately tome perfect for serving as a sturdy doorstop or to level out an uneven kitchen table. But, since I’ve never been tempted to shop my work around to prospective publishing houses, and since the only place you can find … Continue reading →

Genetically Tailored Therapy

I recently heard an ad for Vanderbilt University on a national radio program. The ten-second spot was marketing a new feature available only at their medical center: “This program brought to you by Vanderbilt Medical Center, where doctors use genetic testing to tailor your treatment of cholesterol” (or something like that—as you age your memory starts to fade a bit). Immediately my imagination was off to the races, envisioning what a consult with one of their doctors must be like. Good afternoon, Mr. Smith. Welcome to our clinic. Before we … Continue reading →

Just Say No to Exercise

For the past couple of years I’ve written blog posts about the age-old New Year’s resolution game. Two years ago it was how to set and reach reasonable (not overreaching) goals. Last year I focused on how to help your loved ones get the health screening they need. After spending countless hours refining my thesis, reworking my talking points, and tuning my arguments, I came to the realization that no one really paid attention to anything I wrote anyway. My guess is that not a single person made a single … Continue reading →

Really Good Advice

We doctors are full of all kinds of really good advice. Sometimes you’ve got to wonder, though, if we ever listen to what comes out of our mouths. I read this little pearl of advice a couple weeks ago while I was vacationing in the cold, snowy mountains of northern Utah. It comes from the December 4th, 2011, edition of that venerable publication Parade Magazine (hey, don’t knock it—I’ve been a faithful reader since I was 12) in an article called “Take Our Winter Skin Quiz.” In addition to gleaning … Continue reading →