ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL HOSTS TRAINING SEMINAR ON TRANSRADIAL ANGIOPLASTY TECHNIQUE
06/30/2008
-- Transradial Expert Dr. John Coppola Holds
Live Demonstration Courses --
Contact: Mary Mooney
212.604.2675
June 17, 2008 NEW YORK, NY - Dr. John Coppola, chief of cardiology at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, completed a two-day training seminar at the hospital to teach cardiologists the transradial angioplasty technique through live demonstration courses.
'The transradial access approach for angioplasties and stents is much safer for patients than the traditional method, and the current research is showing that it is also better for their long-term health. The training seminars offer cardiologists the chance to learn the technique during actual practice,' said Dr. John Coppola.
Transradial angioplasty involves entry through the wrist for angioplasties and stents instead of the traditional method of entry through the femoral artery in the thigh. The technique has proven to result in fewer complications after surgery, a lower mortality rate and higher patient comfort and satisfaction. Additionally, patients are able to sit up and walk almost immediately after the procedure -- eliminating the hours of manual compression and lying flat on their backs.
Despite the advantages, the transradial approach accounts for fewer than 10% of angioplasties in the United States due to the lack of training in cardiology fellowships. Dr. Coppola, a recognized leader in the transradial approach, joined St. Vincent's cardiologist Dr. Tak Kwan, to host the training seminar to give cardiologists hands-on training with the transradial approach. Together they trained seven physicians from around the United States, and one from Venezuela.
About Saint Vincent's
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's) is anchored by St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, an academic medical center located in Greenwich Village and the only emergency room on the Westside of Manhattan from Midtown to Tribeca, St. Vincent's Westchester, a behavioral health hospital in Westchester County, and continuing care services that include two skilled nursing facilities in Brooklyn, another on Staten Island, a hospice, and a home health agency serving the Metropolitan New York area. Its behavioral health services also provide supportive housing programs for people with mental illness throughout the Metropolitan area. Saint Vincent's is the designated provider for the New York and New Jersey region of the US Family Health Plan sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
Saint Vincent's serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City. The healthcare organization is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York.
