WVU Medicine is expanding its advanced cardiac services with the launch of an open-heart surgery program at its Thomas Hospitals in South Charleston, W. Va.
The first open-heart surgeries at Thomas Memorial Hospital were performed March 26 by surgeons at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute. Two patients underwent triple coronary artery bypass grafting operations to treat severe blockages and are currently recovering, the Morgantown, W. Va.-based system said in an April 1 news release.
"The hospital leadership and the excellent staff exemplified teamwork at all levels for us to provide the same level of open-heart quality in Charleston as we would provide in Morgantown," said Vinay Badhwar, MD, executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, who performed the open-heart surgeries.
The launch of the program at Thomas Hospitals, which includes Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospital, comes a year after the health system said it was expanding services in the region to meet growing demand for advanced cardiac surgeries.