Bridgeport Hospital enhances cardiac surgery with additional expertise of Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Center

BRIDGEPORT, CT (Oct. 27, 2020) – Fairfield County’s most advanced and comprehensive cardiovascular care is still where it’s been for decades: at Bridgeport Hospital. But now, it’s even better with the integration of the Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Center (HVC) cardiovascular surgery team.

“The HVC charter is to deliver state-of-the-art patient-centered compassionate care in all of the system’s delivery networks,” said Arnar Geirsson, MD, who heads the HVC as chief of cardiac surgery for Yale Medicine. “Toward this goal, the entire Yale cardiovascular surgery, anesthesia and perfusion staff are fully integrated into Bridgeport Hospital.”

With this additional expertise, the Bridgeport Hospital team, consisting of surgeons, anesthesia professionals, perfusionists (healthcare professionals who operate the heart–lung machine during cardiac surgery) and dedicated ICU nurses to care for patients post-operatively, offers a broad range of heart and vascular surgery, including:

• catheter-based ablation procedures
• coronary bypass, robotic coronary artery bypass grafting
• surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive heart procedure to replace an aortic valve that fails to open properly
• implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators
• minimally invasive valve repair
• robotic hybrid coronary revascularization
• extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock

Nabil Atweh, MD, Bridgeport Hospital chair of Surgery, thinks the hospital’s specialized anesthesia services are one of the features that makes the enhanced cardiovascular surgery program stand out.

“We have a skilled anesthesiologist from Yale Medicine providing services to our patients, he said. “Skilled anesthesia, perfusion services and support services distinguish Bridgeport Hospital as the most sophisticated cardiac service in Fairfield County.”

Bridgeport Hospital’s hybrid operating room features a comprehensive, leading-edge angiography suite with built-in, real-time imaging. The hybrid OR’s unique design allows physicians to perform a variety of advanced, minimally invasive cardiac and vascular procedures, including TAVR and aortic aneurysm repairs.

With a call to the 24/7 Y Access Transfer Center at 888-YNHH-BED (888-964-4233), referring physicians receive quick access to an attending physician for consultation or to arrange for a patient transfer to Bridgeport Hospital. Trained paramedics facilitate admission, bed assignment and critical care transport using the Yale New Haven Health emergency helicopter, Sky Health, when necessary.

Yale New Haven Health is committed to keeping patients safe and comfortable in its hospitals, ambulatory facilities and physician offices. This includes additional screenings as well as testing, social distancing and advanced cleaning. Patients also have the option of phone or video visits with their physician. “Bridgeport area residents have world class care right in their backyard, without the need to travel to New York or Boston,” added Stuart Zarich, MD, Bridgeport Hospital chief of Cardiology.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org