We've Got Heart
Torrance Memorial's Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute offers advancements in cardiac care.
Written by John Ferrari
The physicians, surgeons, nurses and medical technologists of the Lundquist Lurie Cardiovascular Institute (LLCVI) have a shared vision, says Ankush Chhabra, MD, the LLCVI’s medical director: to provide excellent cardiac care for the South Bay and throughout Los Angeles.
By any measure, the LLCVI is doing just that. It’s been named one of the world’s best specialized hospitals in cardiology for four consecutive years by Newsweek and Statista Inc. and earned five American Heart Association Gold or Gold Plus achievement awards in 2023.
But the vision is an aspirational goal too, because cardiac diagnosis, treatment, technology and care are improving. That’s why Torrance Memorial continues to invest in the institute’s facilities and staff.
“We are advancing the standard of care—from cardiac imaging to newer subspecialties like cardio-oncology,” says Torrance Memorial senior vice president and chief operating officer Derek Berz. “We’re completely comprehensive. Today the institute can do everything except whole-heart transplants—and we can do that through our partnership with Cedars-Sinai.”
“Over the last four years, we’ve accelerated the growth of the LLCVI,” explains Dr. Chhabra. “In addition to cardiac generalists, we’re focusing on specialists and multiple subspecialties. The capabilities we have rival—and in some cases exceed—what you see at academic institutions. We are now a regional referral center—not only for residents of the South Bay but throughout Los Angeles and in many cases Southern California. And we’re continuing to add expertise and technology to match the community’s needs.”
Cardio-oncology
With advances in early diagnosis and treatment, “cancers are now often a chronic illness,” explains Berz. “Cardio-oncology is a relatively new subspecialty, and the institute has a dedicated specialist in Brenton Bauer, MD, who focuses on cardio-oncology, advanced cardiac imaging and heart failure.” It’s a subspecialty that leverages multiple other cardiac specialties—especially imaging—to provide individualized care and recovery, Berz notes.
Cardiogenic Shock Program
“This program is for the most at-risk patients, who other hospitals are unable to care for,” Dr. Chhabra says. This includes patients with complete cardiac collapse due to a pre-existing heart failure or massive heart attack. In these extreme cases, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) may be the only option. ECMO is a life support system used when a patient’s heart and lungs can’t function. “It takes blood from the body, removes carbon dioxide, adds oxygen, then pumps it back into the body,” explains Dr. Ghaly. “ECMO is a rarity outside major academic medical centers. Torrance Memorial has several ECMO machines to support our patients.”
Cardiac Computed Tomography Scan
CT scans quickly produce high-resolution images using multiple X-rays from different angles. “The volume of cardiac CT scans has exploded from 100 a year to more than 2,000 a year over the past few years, says Dr. Bauer.
Electrophysiology (EP)
EP studies electrical problems with the heart, explains Matthew Ostrom, MD. “It focuses on testing and treating abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).”
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
In this minimally invasive procedure, the interventional cardiologist replaces a narrowed or diseased aortic valve with a balloon-expandable valve via a catheter. “This has revolutionized aortic valve treatment,” explains Dr. Bauer. “Aortic stenosis is typically a disease of older patients, and with this technique we often can treat patients in their 80s and 90s who may not have been candidates for traditional open-heart surgery. It’s the most phenomenal and impressive sight to witness these patients go from frail and often immobile to strong, happy and walking with improved quality of life.”
Advanced Cardiac Imaging
“Imaging ensures diagnoses are accurate, and new imaging modalities at the institute bring us up to state of the art,” explains Dr. Bauer. “We can diagnose conditions where other diagnostic modalities fall short and wouldn’t have caught anything. We can also better assess patients for advanced treatment options including minimally invasive procedures that expand our abilities to treat across the age and comorbidity spectrum.”
Structural Heart Program
“This is a new area looking at valvular and other structural heart issues,” Dr. Bauer explains. “It’s the biggest area of growth in cardiac treatment,” adds Dr. Chhabra. The LLCVI’s structural heart program’s procedures and interventions address conditions by repairing structural abnormalities.
Nuclear Imaging
“SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) and PET (positron emission tomography) scanning employ the use of radiopharmaceuticals to assess the blood flow supply to the heart,” explains Dr. Bauer. “We’re using PET imaging for ischemia in addition to other advanced topics, such as coronary microvascular dysfunction, commonly seen in women.”
Cardiac Surgery
“In close collaboration with the cardiology team, the LLCVI cardiac surgery program provides comprehensive cardiac surgery procedures including coronary artery bypass surgery, complex heart valve and aortic surgeries, as well as minimally invasive procedures,” says Aziz Ghaly, MD. “Through our affiliation with Cedars-Sinai, we provide direct access to heart transplant and advanced heart failure therapies at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.”
Watchman
Watchman is a catheter-inserted device that prevents blood clots from forming in the left atrial appendage, which can lead to stroke. Patients with atrial fibrillation are especially at risk for this complication. The device gives patients who can’t tolerate blood thinners another option to prevent this life-threatening condition, Dr. Chhabra says.
EP Labs
“Currently we’re building new electrophysiology labs, and I’m very excited to be updating everything,” says Dr. Ostrom. “The new labs will include state-of-the-art biplane fluoroscopy suites, new intracardiac ultrasound equipment, advanced mapping and ablation systems, and more physical space.” Dr. Chhabra notes, “Our EP outcomes have always been in the top 90%, and outcomes really are what matter.”
Women’s Heart Health
“Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women,” says Nadia Jafar Curran, MD. Cardiac conditions affecting women disproportionately include microvascular dysfunction, spontaneous coronary artery dissection and mitral valve disorders. The LLCVI’s Women’s Heart Health Clinic addresses this with services including risk factor assessment and disease prevention, preconception counseling and pregnancy-related heart health. To diagnose and treat cardiac conditions, the clinic works with the entire range of specialists at the LLCVI. “That’s the beauty of the institute—everyone has their specialties,” Dr. Curran explains. “When I see a woman with one of these conditions, I can go to these specialists and together we can brainstorm the best approach. You have all this specialized expertise—that’s a great benefit.”
MitraClip
MitraClip is a device inserted via catheter in a minimally invasive procedure to reduce or stop leaking of the mitral valve (between the two left chambers of the heart), Dr. Chhabra says. Using real-time imaging, the procedure can replace open-heart cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in some patients.
Cardiac Ablation
Ablation is the primary treatment for arrhythmias, which can range from minor annoyance to life-threatening conditions, Dr. Ostrom says. Ablation neutralizes the cardiac tissue causing the arrhythmia. The LLCVI recently added a new Boston Scientific cryoablation system, which freezes tissue, primarily for treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Conduction Pacemakers and Barostim
“One of the most exciting developments in Electrophysiology (EP) is conduction system pacemakers,” says Dr. Ostrom. “With precise placement of the pacemaker’s leads, we can tap into the heart’s natural conduction system—essentially the electrical wiring of the heart—so we’re able to physiologically pace the heart. We’re all very excited about the potential of this burgeoning therapy. We are also excited to now be implanting Barostim and Optimizer devices for symptomatic congestive heart failure. Barostim senses the body’s natural baroreflex, which helps regulate the heartbeat in response to arterial blood pressure, and stimulates the carotid baroreceptors in attempts to rebalance a dysfunctional autonomic nervous system. Optimizer improves cardiac contractility—essentially the heart’s ability to contract. Both therapies lead to symptomatic improvement in congestive heart failure symptoms.”
Cardiologists quoted in this article:
Brenton Bauer, MD, is director of the LLCVI’s Echocardiography Lab, Heart Failure Program and Cardio-Oncology Program. He specializes in general cardiology, cardio-oncology, advanced cardiac imaging and heart failure.
Ankush Chhabra, MD, is the LLCVI’s medical director. He is an interventional cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology and peripheral vascular cardiology.
Nadia Curran, MD, is director of the Institute’s Women’s Heart Health Clinic. She specializes in general cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and women’s cardiovascular disease.
Aziz Ghaly, MD, is medical director of the institute’s cardiac surgery program, with specialties in adult cardiac and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, aortic surgery and cardiopulmonary transplantation.
Matthew Ostrom, MD, is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist specializing in catheter and device-based therapies in the treatment of complex arrhythmias, syncope, sudden cardiac death and heart failure.
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