New Treatment Option at Glen Cove Hospital to Repair Aneurysms
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East Norwich Grandfather One of First in Area to Benefit from Novel Technique For Joseph Barnao, 77, of East Norwich, a new minimally invasive procedure performed at Glen Cove Hospital has not only safely repaired his abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), but has given him a new lease on life. The surgery allowed him to be placed on a waiting list for a kidney transplant while he continues dialysis. For seven years, Gerard Vitale, MD, chief of vascular surgery at Glen Cove Hospital, had been monitoring Mr. Barnao’s condition -- a weakening in the wall of the body’s main blood vessel, which causes ballooning and possible rupture. Mr. Barnao’s AAA grew to the size of a baseball, and because of his renal failure and other medical problems, a traditional open surgical procedure to implant a synthetic graft to strengthen the aortic wall was too risky, said Dr. Vitale.
“The new procedure is safer for the patient,” said Dr. Vitale. “Before, these aneurysms were treated surgically with a large, 10-inch incision across the abdomen and chest. Now, we make two small incisions in the patient’s groin and snake the stent graft up to the aneurysm site using X-ray control. The graft then expands to a preset size securing it in the correct location.”
Mr. Barnao, who owned the Carpets by Barnao store in Oyster Bay for 45 years, said the surgery “was a walk in the park,” adding, “I didn’t need painkillers; I had no pain at all – I feel fantastic.” Retired for 2 ½ years now, Mr. Barnao is busy with his woodworking (he makes birdhouses) and gardening, and is enjoying time with his family. With an endovascular repair, patients could expect a one- to two-day hospital stay and return to normal activity in less than two weeks, said Dr. Vitale. For an open surgery, patients could stay in the hospital seven to 10 days and be out of work for two months. To establish the endovascular surgery program at Glen Cove, Dr. Vitale trained with K.V. Krishnasastry, MD, chief of the division of vascular and endovascular surgery at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset, who has performed more than 200 AAA endovascular procedures, and two of his colleagues, Rajeev Dayal, MD and Richard Schutzer, MD. “Through the combined efforts of NSUH vascular surgeons and the hospital’s perioperative nursing staff, Dr. Vitale and Glen Cove staff are now able to handle complex procedures in aortic pathology, which benefits patients in the local community,” said Dr. Krishnasastry. Glen Cove Hospital invested more than $300,000 in the most advanced endovascular equipment for its operating room. Another advantage to the endovascular repair is that a wireless sensor is inserted in the aneurysm sac to measure blood flow post-operatively. This eliminates the need for regular computed tomography scans after surgery. Media Contact: Betty Olt 516-465-2645 |
