Free Event for Cardiac Patients

Cardiac Update: Stents & Bypass Surgery: What Cardiac Patients Should Know
Presented by interventional cardiologist Narian Rajan, M.D.

During this free seminar interventional cardiologist Dr. Narian Rajan will discuss the ins and outs of diagnosing Coronary Heart Disease and how to manage cardiac risk factors. He’ll also give an overview of the new stents and devices that are now available for cardiac patients. Plus, learn about the advantages and disadvantages of bypass surgery.

Tuesday, March 22, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Sentara Potomac Hospital, Hylton Education Center
Free. Please register online or call 703-221-2500.

Living with Severe Obesity?

Get Your Weight Loss Surgery Questions Answered at our Free Seminar

For those facing the struggles and frustrations of living with obesity, get your weight loss surgery questions answered at our free seminar. Join board-certified weight loss surgeon Dr. Denis Halmi to learn about surgical solutions to weight loss including laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revisional procedures. Plus, hear first-hand from surgery patients about their experiences.

Fredericksburg Weight Loss Surgery Information Seminar + Patient Panel
Saturday, March 12, 2011
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fredericksburg Hospitality House, Palm Room, 2801 Plank Road, Fredericksburg

This is a free program, but please register online or call 703-221-22500 or 1-800-Sentara.

Sentara Potomac Hospital is designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of excellent outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Breaking Down the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Cholesterol

In the world of heart health, cholesterol is a dirty little word. If it’s too high, doctors cringe. If it’s too low, doctors cringe. There’s LDL, HDL, triglycerides, good cholesterol, bad cholesterol -- what does it all mean? We asked Dr. Nikki Waddell, an internist on Sentara Potomac Hospital’s medical staff, about the good, the bad and the ugly of cholesterol and here’s what she said:

Q. What is cholesterol and why is it so bad?
Dr. Waddell: Cholesterol is a waxy substance in your bloodstream that your body needs to produce cell membranes and some hormones. However, too much cholesterol in your system greatly increases your risk for heart disease and stroke because it forms a thick plaque in your arteries that may block blood flow to your heart or brain.

Q. What’s the difference between good and bad cholesterol?
Dr. Waddell: HDL is considered good cholesterol because high levels of HDL may protect against heart disease. Conversely, high levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, increase heart disease risk because LDL is what causes plaque build-up in the arteries. So, the goal is to have a high number when measuring HDL and a low number when measuring LDL.

Q. How do I know if my HDL and LDL measurements are too high or too low?
Dr. Waddell: Your doctor will explain your cholesterol test results and what you can do to improve your numbers, but the current guidelines are: total cholesterol should be less than 200; LDL (bad) should be less than 100; HDL (good) levels above 60 give some protection against heart disease; and triglycerides should be less than 150.

Q. What are triglycerides?
Dr. Waddell: Triglyceride is a form of fat that’s made in the body. Many people who have elevated triglyceride levels also have high cholesterol. Most people with heart disease have high triglyceride levels – commonly due to obesity, smoking, low physical activity or a high cholesterol diet.

Q. How can you lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels?
Dr. Waddell: The best way to lower cholesterol is by making permanent changes to your diet. You should discuss low cholesterol diet options with your doctor – he or she may refer you to a nutritionist or another healthcare professional to help you make the best nutritional choices. Another great source for those who wish to change their diet is the American Heart Association (heart.org).

Q. So, all I have to do is eat right?
Dr. Waddell: Well, not exactly. While good nutrition plays a vital role in good health, regular exercise for weight control is equally as important. It’s recommended that everyone exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days. Taking a brisk, 30-minute walk every day will not only improve your cholesterol, it will provide many other health benefits as well.

For most people, changes in diet and exercise are enough to bring your cholesterol down to a reasonable level, but for some, medication may be needed. Either way, making sure your cholesterol is at a desirable level is the smart thing to do.

To find out more about Sentara Potomac Hospital physicians, please call our Health Connection at 703-221-2500 or online at potomachospital.com.

Sentara to Build Stand-Alone Emergency Department in Lake Ridge

Outpatient Campus will Provide 24-hour Emergency Care, Advanced Imaging and Lab Services

Sentara Healthcare will soon begin construction on Sentara Lake Ridge – an innovative and modern outpatient healthcare campus that will offer convenient, high quality services and a patient-focused experience.

Sentara Lake Ridge is Sentara Healthcare’s first outpatient facility in Northern Virginia to provide 24-hour emergency care by board-certified physicians and advanced imaging and laboratory services. Located at the corner of Minnieville Road and Summit School Road, the 43,500 square-foot facility is expected to open in early 2012.

"One of the reasons we are opening Sentara Lake Ridge is to provide an alternative site for emergency care in our community," says Megan Perry, President of Sentara Potomac Hospital. "The Emergency Department at Sentara Potomac Hospital was designed 15 years ago to serve 40,000 patients per year, and now serves close to 60,000. We want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the community and we believe that Sentara Lake Ridge will help us achieve that goal."

"A good patient experience is important to us and an overcrowded emergency room can cause longer wait times and create frustration for patients," says Perry. "The population within a five-mile radius of Lake Ridge is expected to increase by nearly 10 percent over the next four years, so opening Sentara Lake Ridge will allow us to better serve the emergency care needs of residents. Also, Sentara Lake Ridge will provide a very convenient location for imaging and lab services."

The Emergency Department at Sentara Lake Ridge will be open 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week and will be staffed by the board-certified physicians of BestPractices, who provide services at Sentara Potomac Hospital’s Irene V. Hylton Emergency Care Center. Emergency patients at this facility will be walk-ins only. Ambulances may transport patients who need to be admitted to the hospital for additional care, after they have been evaluated at Sentara Lake Ridge.

In addition to emergency services, there will be CT imaging services, digital mammography, bone density scanning, ultrasound and x-ray, plus laboratory services. These will be used by emergency patients and other patients who make appointments for these services. The advanced imaging services will be under the medical direction of Potomac Radiology and Imaging Associates, who also provide services at Sentara Potomac Hospital, and will primarily have weekday business hours and some limited weekend appointments.

Sentara is committed to adding value to the communities it serves. Sentara Potomac Hospital is the first Sentara hospital in Northern Virginia and joined the system in December 2009. Sentara Lake Ridge will be the first Sentara outpatient healthcare campus in Northern Virginia.

Since coming to Northern Virginia, Sentara has also introduced Medical Transport services and Home Care services. Sentara will introduce Sentara eCare®, a comprehensive electronic medical record to Sentara Potomac Hospital in late fall 2011,and to Sentara Lake Ridge upon opening.

Stroke Alert!

Stay ahead of the third leading cause of death

We live in a world where everything happens quickly. Instant communication, instant purchases, instant gratification. Sometimes, to counteract the rush of life, it’s good to stop and smell the roses…except when you’re dealing with a possible stroke. To survive the third leading cause of death, time is of the extreme essence.

“It's very important to take immediate action if someone is experiencing signs of stroke,” explains Luis F. Eljaiek, Jr., M.D., medical director of the Irene V. Hylton Emergency Care Center at Sentara Potomac Hospital. “If stroke symptoms are recognized early and 9-1-1 is called, we can give the patient a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. The catch is that tPA must be given within three hours of the start of stroke symptoms, so quick medical intervention is vital to a successful recovery.”

When it looks like stroke, don’t hesitate. Call 9-1-1.

Stroke Alert!

If you or someone with you has one or more of these stroke warning signs, don't delay – call 9-1-1 right away!

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Weight Loss Surgery Affords Stafford Mom a Healthier Life

Melissa Ndebe (pictured), a busy Stafford mother of three, came to terms with needing help to lose weight after thinking long and hard about having weight loss surgery. Now, 230 pounds lighter, she’s living a much healthier and happier life.

Standing at a loooong six feet, two inches, Melissa was used to being one of the tallest people in the room. But after having kids and living a very busy life, she wasn’t only the tallest person, but the biggest.

“My weight really started to balloon after I had my kids,” says the Stafford mom of three. “At my heaviest I was 415 pounds. Frankly, the weight was holding me back. Many people suggested that I have weight loss surgery but I was really skeptical. I didn’t want to admit that I couldn’t handle my weight problem myself."

“Mrs. Ndebe came to our office with diabetes, liver problems, high cholesterol and severe sleep apnea,” says Dr. Denis Halmi, medical director of the Weight Loss Surgery Center at Sentara Potomac Hospital. “Those conditions are all gone now – along with the 230 pounds.”

On a scale from one to 10, Melissa rates her quality of life before the surgery a four and after – a 10.

“I didn’t realize how much of life I was missing until now,” she says. “When you’re that big, you tend to adapt, but after losing the weight I can really look back and see that adapting to life is just not enough. The healthy lifestyle changes that I’ve made have been passed on to my family. In fact, my husband has lost weight and my kids eat healthier as well.”

For those facing the struggles and frustrations of living with obesity, get your weight loss surgery questions answered at our free seminar. Learn about Sentara Potomac Hospital's surgical solutions to weight loss including laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revisional procedures.

Also, find out more about insurance coverage and the Sentara Potomac Hospital weight loss surgery team at this free event on Thursday, February 24, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Register online or call our Health Connection at (703) 221-2500.

Sentara Potomac Hospital is designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of excellent outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Visit PotomacHospital.com for more information.

Love is Good Medicine

Research Shows Relationships Help Maintain Heart Health

By Maureen Deutermann, MSN, R.N., Director of Community Education

For some of us, it’s an excuse to prolong the chocolate orgy that began around Halloween. For others, it’s another example of crass commercialism sucking in naive consumers. And for some, it is actually a day to celebrate love and romance.

Whatever your view of Valentine’s Day, you’re savvy enough to realize that those whimsical little pink and red hearts adorning Valentine cards don’t resemble or have anything to do with our own pumping heart muscle. Or do they? As a symbol of loving relationships, those cute little hearts surprisingly have a LOT to do with our own hearts. Why? Because a growing number of respected researchers are coming to the conclusion that love is vital to heart health.

Indeed, cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish, considered by many to be the guru of heart health, deals exclusively with this subject in his book Love and Survival, 8 Pathways to Intimacy and Health. Dr. Ornish is best known for advocating a super low fat diet that could reverse some heart vessel damage. It is quite noteworthy that this same doctor should have this to say on the healing power of love and intimacy:

“I am not aware of any other factor in medicine -- not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery -- that has a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of illness, and premature death from all causes.”

If you think Dr. Ornish is off in left field on this one, he has a lot of distinguished company out there with him. Scientists at Yale University examined degrees of blocked arteries (the culprits responsible for heart attacks and strokes) in 119 men and women. Those who felt the most loved by significant others had markedly less blockage.

Duke University looked at 1,400 male and female heart patients with the aim of measuring the importance of having a close confidant. After five years, those who were unmarried or lacked a confidant were three times more likely to have died than those who had a close confidant.

February is Heart Month, a good time to take stock of your own heart health. Monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol regularly. Engage in activities to strengthen your heart such as aerobic exercise, losing excess weight, and tweaking your diet in a healthy (translation: less burgers and fries!) direction. Attend a heart health event offered by Sentara Potomac Hospital.

Just as important, or as Dr. Ornish maintains, more importantly, cultivate your loving relationships. Jump off the Shock Wave Roller Coaster of life and take time to be with yourself as well as others. Learn some quiet “exercises” such as deep breathing or meditation. These help to maintain connection to self.

Connect to others by cherishing and nurturing relationships with family and friends. Practice the art of really listening to those you love. If you have no one to listen to, it’s time to “reach out and touch someone.” There are plenty of folks out there who would make grand friends. Find them by joining a faith group or volunteering.

We are social creatures who thrive not only emotionally but also physically by our connection to each other.

Opening This Summer!
Sentara Heart and Vascular Center at Potomac Hospital. Residents in our community will now have the option of receiving cardiovascular care closer to home with the new array of services to be offered. Learn more here.