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| According to an American Heart Association report, 42 million American women live with cardiovascular disease. But many are unaware of this health threat. It is the leading cause of death for women in America; it outranks breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer. In fact, each year, five times as many women die of heart attacks than of breast cancer. The Creighton Cardiac Center in Omaha is a freestanding facility entirely dedicated to cardiovascular teaching and research, as well as to the care of patients who have heart disease or have a good chance of developing it. It is where 20 cardiologists, 12 cardiology fellows, one interventional cardiology fellow, one pharmacy fellow, and a support staff of more than 200 work and provide care at a number of hospitals and clinics in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. The Creighton Cardiac Center has 60,000 square feet of space dedicated to cardiovascular disease. In 2011, the center celebrated its 50th anniversary of providing this specialized health care in Omaha. Dr. Kelly Airey is one of several female cardiologists at the Creighton Cardiac Center. Dr. Airey’s specialty is Atrial fibrillation ablation. She is a fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society, a designation given to those who have gone through extensive training in electrophysiology. She is also board certified in the specialty. She is responsible for the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Program at Creighton as well. Dr. Airey explains, “Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that is caused by unorganized electrical activity arising from the upper chambers of the heart. AF causes an irregular heart rate or pulse. The chaotic electrical activity of the atria or heart chambers also causes them to lose their pumping function.” The irregular heart rate and loss of the pumping function can lead to many symptoms including palpitations (racing or irregular heartbeat), fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain. However, the range of symptoms for individual patients is varied. Some patients may be unaware of it. Atrial fibrillation ablation is a procedure during which a thin wire (catheter) is positioned inside the heart near the pulmonary veins. Radio energy applied to the tip of this catheter is used to cauterize (ablate) the heart tissue around each pulmonary vein. This electrically “disconnects” the pulmonary vein from the left atrium. As a result, the abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein can no longer reach the rest of the heart and trigger AF. “What attracts me to cardiology is that it is an evidence-based specialty,” Dr. Airey comments. “I am able to easily assess how well the patient is affected by our treatments. Whether the patient is on drug therapy or has had a cardiac procedure, I can measure outcome with an EKG, x-rays, stress tests, or other monitoring tools.” Dr. Airey graduated from medical school in 1990, and was a family physician for 10 years before specializing in internal medicine. She is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. She completed a two-year electrophysiology fellowship in Salt Lake City in 2009. “This can be a very rewarding, but at times, challenging and frustrating specialty,” Dr. Airey continues. “On one hand, some patients come to us with very advanced cardiac disease. On the other hand, we have so much more to offer patients than we did 30 or 40 years ago.” Before the 1960s, there was little to offer a heart attack patient. If he or she made it to the hospital alive, there were few diagnostic and curative options. Doctors simply offered support and waited to see if the patient “pulled through.” In the late 1960s, coronary artery bypass surgery was introduced. In the late 1970s came the introduction of stents, which are inserted to dilate the arteries for increased blood flow. And in the 1980s came the introduction of many heart failure drugs. In a relatively short period of time, we have made huge strides in the treatment of heart disease, Dr. Airey says. Dr. Airey points out that women and heart disease have not traditionally been linked. “We heard mostly of men having heart attacks; they were rushed to emergency rooms with severe chest pains and the diagnoses were mostly conclusive. Women’s symptoms are often more subtle: light-headedness, shortness of breath, tingling, and numbness. “Perhaps these cases are less easily diagnosed. Since women often do not present with chest pain. They often may ignore the early warning signs.” In the past, women were largely excluded from cardiac studies and research. Cardiac medicine and surgery was almost exclusively a male-driven specialty. We know so much more about coronary artery disease now, Dr. Airey states. It is no longer a gender-specific disease. There are three contributive factors for heart disease, according to Dr. Airey. These factors are the environment, aging, and a genetic link. We cannot avoid the aging process, and the genes we inherit are out of our control. But the environmental component is huge, and is not only manageable but it is changeable, she points out. The American Heart Association speaks of “Life’s Simple 7.” These are the things that we can do in our lives that can have a major impact on our health. The list includes increased exercise, maintaining a healthy lipid profile (good cholesterol), eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet, maintaining a healthy weight, having a healthy blood sugar, (diabetes is one of the six major contributors of cardiovascular disease), maintaining a low blood pressure, and not smoking. Dr. Airey says that she loves her career choice. “I truly enjoy getting up in the morning and going to work. My hours are long, and there is some ‘wear and tear’ on my body. I wear 15 to 20 pounds of lead protection during x-rays and procedures. It is hard on my back, hips, and knees.” However, the Creighton Cardiac Center offers a state-of-the-art facility and equipment. The staff is highly trained and has impressive credentials, Dr. Airey adds. The center is also very involved in both pharmaceutical and device clinical trials, which allow for some of the latest advances to be available to patients when traditional care is not successful. Trials are typically available for patients who have or have had congestive heart failure, hypertension, heart attack, coronary artery disease, and others. The cardiovascular rehabilitation facility features an elevated walking/jogging track and a large monitored exercise area. Prevention services include nutrition education, stress management, cooking classes, weight management, smoking cessation, and exercise. The Creighton Cardiac Center is located at 3006 Webster Street in Omaha. The phone number is 402-280-4566. |
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