Only Hospital in Tampa Bay with Two Physicians Tag-Teaming
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August 01, 2011
Largo, FL – Two expert cardiac physicians at Largo Medical Center are combining their unique skills to perform a closed-chest minimally invasive approach to heart arrhythmia surgery called the Convergent Procedure.
“Together, in the same room here at Largo Medical Center, a cardiac electro physiologist and a cardiac surgeon are putting a stop to the most common heart rhythm disorder in the United States called Atrial Fibrillation or Afib,” said Richard Satcher, CEO of Largo Medical Center. The Convergent Procedure is nothing like traditional open heart surgery where a patient recovers in the hospital for days with a huge incision down the middle of their chest. "I make a one inch incision in a patient’s abdomen," says Joseph Diliberto, Jr., MD, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Largo Medical Center. "Then, I burn scars on the outside surface of the patient's heart to block the abnormal electrical signals [heartbeats]." "As an electro physiologist, I create similar scars but inside the heart, at areas that Dr. Diliberto can’t reach from the outside." says John F. Norris, MD, the Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Largo Medical Center. "Then at the completion of the procedure, I test the patient’s heart to ensure all the abnormal electrical signals [heartbeats] have been eliminated." The Convergent Procedure is performed on a beating heart, so hospital recovery time is relatively short. Dr. Norris says he often releases the patient in as little as 48 hours after surgery.
Since the inception of the Convergent Procedure program at Largo Medical Center, many Afib patients have stopped taking medications they have been on for years thanks to the excellent results associated with the combined approach. Afib is caused by rapid and disorganized electrical signals that disrupt blood flow in the upper chambers of the heart (atria) for either short or long periods of time. Patients with Afib can experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest palpitations, fainting and in severe cases, stroke.
About Largo Medical Center
Largo Medical Center is a 422 bed hospital serving the community from two campuses. Largo Medical Center provides breast healthcare at the Florida Breast Institute, knee care at the Florida Knee and Orthopedic Pavilion, spine, neck and neurological care at the Florida Spine & Neuro Center, heart care at the Tampa Bay Heart Institute, behavioral healthcare, inpatient rehabilitation, wound care, sleep disorders care, imaging & diagnostic services and emergency care. Largo Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education program is the West Coast Academic Center for NOVA Southeastern University and is the 3rd largest program of its kind in the Southern United States.
Director of Marketing/Public Relations:
Tammy Robiconti
(727) 348-1896 | email