Tampa, Fla.-based USF Health and Tampa General Hospital are the second in the nation to perform a minimally invasive heart surgery and the first in the region to perform a noninvasive parathyroid gland surgery, the 83 Degrees reported Aug. 30.
In the spring, interventional cardiologists implanted a new heart device to replace a patient's tricuspid valve. This procedure does not require breaking open the chest, only catheters inserted into the arteries or veins through the groin area and mild sedation. The new technique allows high-risk patients to receive the treatment.
In May, neurosurgeons used a diagnostic nuclear medicine test to identify a tumor in the parathyroid gland of a 73-year-old patient. Then a small incision was made to target that specific gland instead of a 6- to 8-inch cut. The procedure can be done in 30 minutes instead of hours, and forgoes many of the risks associated with conventional surgery.