UM Health-West, Trinity Health provide another option for open-heart surgery in Grand Rapids area – MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI After being the largest metropolitan city in the country with only one option for open-heart surgery, Grand Rapids area patients will now have another choice for their cardiovascular care.

The Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan, made up of Trinity Health St. Marys. Trinity Health Muskegon and UM Health-West opened an advanced operating room in Wyoming last week.

The operating room, located at UM Health-Wests Wyoming campus, features state-of-the-art imaging systems to aid surgeons in all types of surgery, said Dr. Peter Hahn, UM Health-West president.

I suspect its the most advanced operating room in the state, Hahn told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Its over 1,000 square feet, so its close to double the average size of an OR. It has really advanced equipment so you can do both open-heart and minimally invasive valve replacements.

Patients receiving care from the cardiovascular network will have access to the University of Michigans Frankel Cardiovascular Centers experts, which is nationally ranked.

A lot of patients in Grand Rapids leave the area for (cardiovascular) care, so were really excited about having the backing of Michigan Medicine, Hahn said.

Every patient will be evaluated by a team made up of cardiologists from Trinity Health and UM Health to determine care plans.

The first patient to receive open-heart surgery at the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan's new operating room went home last Saturday safely, according to UM Health-West staff.

Four surgeons at UM Health-West are doing open-heart surgeries in the new operating room, all of whom are faculty members at Michigan Medicine. The first such surgery was performed in the OR last week.

We did our first open heart case a week ago Monday, and the patient went home Saturday safely, Hahn said.

We are also using the space for complex neurosurgery and lung procedures. The hybrid operating room really allows us to treat patients for a whole range of procedures.

Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan Executive Director Dr. Himanshu Patel said the new operating room is the start of a new era for Grand Rapids area patients.

Above all, we are extremely pleased with the opportunity to connect with more patients through the network, and to provide them with increased quality of life, Patel said in a prepared statement.

It could not be more gratifying to begin on such a positive note as we launch this era of collaboration, choice, access and excellence for the heart patients of West Michigan.

Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital President Gary Allore said the operating room and multi-hospital cardiovascular network is just the beginning.

We envision a region-leading program to address cardiovascular disease, which is still the No. 1 cause of death in Michigan, he said in a prepared statement. We are focused on improving access to world-class care that meets the needs of the people we serve in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and all of West Michigan.

The Cardiovascular Networks current expertise includes coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), aortic valve surgery, mitral valve surgery, treatment of aortic aneurysm, and cardiac ablation procedures.

I think were bringing world-class quality in terms of research and clinical expertise, Hahn said. Patients are really going to have seamless expertise.

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UM Health-West, Trinity Health provide another option for open-heart surgery in Grand Rapids area - MLive.com