• St. Mary Offers a New Option to Reduce Risk of Stroke
• Bucks County Bank Hires a New Employee
• Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba Welcome Karl Kline to the Firm

St. Mary Offers a New Option to Reduce Risk of Stroke

Breakthrough technology allows some patients to stop using blood-thinner medications

For 69-year-old Terry Wesner of Ewing, N.J., managing his irregular heartbeat (non-valvular atrial fibrillation) has been a constant challenge since his first heart attack in 1986. He’s had five stents in his heart and two in his legs to keep blood flowing through his arteries, as well as numerous implantable defibrillators and pacemakers to maintain a healthy heart rhythm. But it is his atrial fibrillation that requires him to take a steady stream of blood-thinning medication to keep his blood from clotting and causing a stroke.

And it was the long-term use of this medication that really worried him. Wesner developed anemia, a common side effect from consistent use of blood thinners. Even more troubling, Wesner was worried about other unintended consequences. “Every time I cut myself, it’s hard to stop the bleeding,” says Wesner. “What if I got into a serious accident? Suddenly, a minor wound isn’t so minor anymore. It felt like a constant threat.”

That concern prompted him to seek an alternative to his medication regiment. His cardiologist at St. Mary, Dr. Steven Goldsmith, recommended an innovative new implant. The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Implant could drastically reduce his need for blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin, as the new device is proven to cut the risk of stroke dramatically.

“The WATCHMAN is ground-breaking new technology that truly benefits patients who are at risk for stroke because of atrial fibrillation,” says Dr. Richard Leshner, Chief of Cardiology at St. Mary. “We are excited to be the first in Bucks County to add this treatment option so that our cardiac patients do not have to travel far to receive the best and most advanced care.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, Wesner became the first patient at St. Mary to receive the WATCHMAN implant, which recently received approval from the FDA. Two additional WATCHMAN procedures also were performed later that first day. St. Mary is the first hospital in Bucks County and the first hospital in the Trinity Health System, which operates 88 hospitals around the country, to begin implanting the device into eligible patients like Wesner.

Resembling a mini-jellyfish, the WATCHMAN implant works by blocking the left atrial appendage, a small structure in the left atrium of the heart, from filling with blood and forming harmful blood clots which can then enter the blood stream and potentially cause a stroke.

“Patients like Mr. Wesner have a five-fold increased risk of stroke resulting from the pooling and clotting of blood in the left atrial appendage,” says Scott Burke, MD, Director of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology at St. Mary and one of Wesner’s physicians. “Ninety percent of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation are believed to originate in the left atrial appendage.”

In a minimally invasive procedure that takes about an hour, the WATCHMAN is inserted into a vein in the upper thigh via a catheter and skillfully guided through the veins until it gets to the heart. Once at the left atrial appendage, the device is deployed to cover the structural opening. Once implanted, the body forms a tissue lining around the device to cover and close the left atrial appendage. Blood thinners are continued for about six weeks post-surgery during the healing process.

Dr. Burke feels this new technology is a major step forward for patients in the Bucks County area. “We now have a completely new category of treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation who are at a high risk of stroke and bleeding. The device affords patients protection from stroke without the challenges of long-term blood thinners. We are thrilled we now have this option available for appropriate patients here in our community and thankful to St. Mary Medical Center for investing in this technology.”

Wesner’s procedure may sound simple and straightforward, but in reality, it involves a lot of sophisticated resources such as a hybrid operating suite, advanced imaging tools such as three-dimensional echocardiology, and a structural heart team of highly skilled physicians. In addition to Dr. Burke, interventional cardiologist David Drucker, MD, Director of Peripheral Vascular Interventions; and Anand Haridas, MD, Director of Cardiovascular Imaging; were among the team of experts to perform the first WATCHMAN procedure at St. Mary.      

“St. Mary Medical Center has a long-standing commitment to leading-edge cardiovascular technologies in the realm of interventional cardiology,” says Dr. Drucker. “This new technique continues this tradition of bringing new technologies to the community in the experienced hands of leading physicians.”

“St. Mary Medical Center believes in delivering advanced cardiovascular care in our community,” adds Dr. Haridas. “They have consistently renewed this commitment with investments in the most up-to-date imaging technologies, including three-dimensional echocardiography and advanced biplane fluoroscopic imaging used in our state-of-the-art operating suites.”

As for Wesner, his wife Pat Wesner was pleasantly surprised to see how well he was doing shortly after the procedure. “He was sitting up in bed and he just looked great,” she said. “We’re both extremely grateful to his team of doctors and St. Mary for having this treatment option. It really does offer us peace of mind.”

With a short recovery time, the WATCHMAN procedure requires only a 24-hour hospital stay for most patients. Mr. Wesner was happy to go home the next day. “I feel great,” he said before being discharged.

About St. Mary Health

St. Mary Health, a member of Trinity Health, the nation’s second largest Catholic health care organization, is an integrated health care system based in Langhorne, Pa. At the core is St. Mary Medical Center, the most comprehensive medical center in the Bucks County region. The St. Mary Health staff of more than 700  physicians, 3,200 colleagues, and 1,100 volunteers is committed to providing excellence in patient safety and compassionate, quality care through an enhanced and expanding array of health and wellness services designed to meet community needs now and in the future. For a full listing of the myriad health care services St. Mary Health offers, please visit www.StMaryHealthcare.org.

Bucks County Bank Hires a New Employee

Bucks County Bank announced the hiring of Jason Simons of Bensalem, PA as a Business Development Officer for the Bank’s Retail Division. He will be responsible for growing the Bank’s deposits. Mr. Simons has over 17 years of banking experience, which he is excited to bring to Bucks County Bank. Rick Battaglia, Executive Vice President of the Retail Division, echoed that sentiment. “We are so pleased that Jason will be joining Bucks County Bank, and we think that he will greatly contribute to our efforts of growing our deposit customers.”

Bucks County Bank offers comprehensive financial products for businesses, professionals and individuals. Bucks County Bank offices are located in Doylestown at 200 S. Main Street, in Warminster at 356 York Road, in Levittown near Five Points at 7203 New Falls Road, and in Bensalem at 2084 Street Road.

Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba Welcome Karl Kline to the Firm

Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C. (FLB) is pleased to announce the expansion of its practice into Easton, Pennsylvania and is happy to welcome Karl Kline to the Firm, as a shareholder in the Estate and Business practice areas. 

“We’re looking forward to expanding our footprint to Easton, as it will situate us to be more convenient to current and potential clients in Northampton County. This location will contribute to the future growth of FLB, and the addition of Karl will expand our Estate Planning practice in a strategic, purposeful manner,” said Joseph A. Bubba, the Firm’s Managing Shareholder. “Karl’s reputation in the Lehigh Valley has created lasting relationships within the local community. We are happy to welcome him to our team.”

“I’m happy to join forces with FLB and to be a part of the Firm’s expansion. By uniting forces and establishing a second office, I can continue to serve our individual and business clients in both Northampton and Lehigh counties,” said Kline.

With over 35 years of legal experience, Kline’s areas of expertise include wills, trusts and estates, business law, real estate, municipal law and land use law. He holds a degree in Economics from Lafayette College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. Kline is admitted to practice before various State and Federal Courts, including the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Northampton County Bar Association.

Prior to starting his own firm, Kline served as President of Teel Stettz, P.C. He has also served as a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Planning Association and several financial consulting organizations.

He is currently the Solicitor for the Green Knight Economic Development Corporation. Previously, he served as Solicitor for Forks Township and the Northampton County Higher Education Authority, Vice President of the Easton Area Jaycees, Chairman of Easton Heritage Day, President of Easton Kiwanis Club, President of Business-Industrial-Professional Association of Palmer Township, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Easton Hospital.

About FLB

Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C. is one of the largest full-service law firms in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988, FLB’s team of attorneys strives to provide clients with exceptional service, thoughtful insight and individual attention to solve even the toughest of legal challenges. For more information about FLB and its attorneys, visit www.flblaw.com, follow the Firm on Twitter or Facebook, and add to circles on G+.