Director of the Vascular Center
About 750,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year. While stroke kills 160,000 annually in the U.S., many more face serious disabilities. The good news is that all of these vascular diseases can be prevented or controlled with early diagnosis and skillful medical care.
“Most people understand the importance of screening for heart disease, yet
few realize that the same conditions that affect the arteries of the heart – high
blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and high cholesterol – affect blood vessels throughout the body,” states Bruce Brener, M.D., Director of the Vascular Center of Saint Barnabas Health Care System. “Today, vascular disease specialists can remove or bypass blockages surgically or open arteries with balloons and stent with excellent results.”
Window of Opportunity: Signs and Symptoms
According to the National Stroke Association, stroke is a “brain attack” that
cuts off vital blood and oxygen to the brain cells. Most strokes occur when
arteries are blocked by blood clots or by the gradual build-up of plaque and
other fatty deposits. Some strokes can be caused by arteries rupturing when
weak spots on the blood vessel wall break.
Knowing the warning signs of stroke and getting prompt treatment may
reduce stroke damage. A clot-busting drug can restore blood flow to damaged tissue if the drug is administered within three hours of the attack. A trip to the local emergency room should be taken without delay. According to
studies, the majority of stroke victims do not make it to the emergency department until 24 hours after symptoms appear.
If symptoms appear for only a short period of time and then disappear, it could mean a transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is important to call
911 whenever you experience any stroke symptom. While TIAs are not strokes, they indicate serious underlying stroke risks and are a powerful warning that a full stroke may soon follow.
The Vascular Center offers Experienced Care
The highly specialized services of the Vascular Center are designed to
provide comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal
and thoracic aneurysms, carotid artery disease, as well as peripheral arterial and venous circulatory disease.
In addition to quality patient care, the Vascular Center participates in clinical research and the vascular fellowship program supports advances within the field.
Services are available at three Saint Barnabas Health Care System locations: Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Saint Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. In addition to a state-of-the-art vascular laboratory at each site, patients have access to other sophisticated diagnostic
imaging tools that can diagnose vascular diseases.
“Our experienced vascular imaging technologists are using the most advanced non-invasive techniques to identify the exact location of blockages, the degree of vascular impairment and weaknesses in blood
vessels,” says Dr. Brener. “These tests can diagnose aortic aneurysms, narrowing of the carotid arteries, narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to the kidneys, liver, intestines and lower extremities.”
Once identified, vascular conditions can often be treated with minimally invasive procedures such as angioplasty, stenting and stent graft placement. The Vascular Center’s physician team has placed over 330 stent grafts to repair aortic aneurysms.
“Our team’s experience in placing stent grafts has allowed participation in selective clinical research trials, offering patients the next generation of graft devices,” notes Dr. Brener. “The newest stent grafts offer increased flexibility,
more secure fixation and can be placed through smaller incisions.”
The Vascular Center is participating in a trial using stent grafts for repairing aneurysms in the chest. Use of this device may replace an invasive surgical procedure with one that requires only a small incision in the leg and allows
patients to return to their normal activities within a week.
Screening Those at Risk
To further its goal of offering care to those at risk, the Vascular Center provided free ultrasound-based screening for nearly 200 people last year. “Vascular disease is an underdiagnosed condition of our aging population,” says Dr Brener. “Simple screening tests and early treatment can prevent circulation problems in the limbs and devastating strokes and aneurysms.”
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek emergency medical care:
To reach the Vascular Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, please call (973) 322-5064.
To reach the Vascular Center at the Saint Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center , please (973) 322-7888.
To reach the Vascular Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, please call (973) 926-7591.
