Caitlin Whyte (Host): This is Community Connect, presented by TGH. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Joining me is Allison Joseph, a patient service line navigator for the complex coronary and microvascular program at Tampa General Hospital. Allison, welcome. Can you tell us what is the Complex Coronary Program? 

Allison Joseph, BSN, RN: So, the Complex Coronary Program consists of a nurse practitioner, and three interventional cardiologists. Patients are referred to us, including those with multiple blockages in their hearts, possibly 100 percent blocked arteries, and those who have been told by their previous cardiologist that there's nothing else to be done. So we schedule the patients for a clinic visit and review all of their records. We then, if needed, we'll schedule them for a procedure. What differentiates our program from others is that our interventionalists have access to different tools and the most updated technology to perform the procedures.

Other physicians might not be capable of this. Our team may be able to do things such as place stents in hard to access places, open chronic total occlusions, arthrectomy, which is kind of like the Roto Rooter, and Lithotripsy, which is breaking up calcium within the artery. 

Host: Got you. I'm glad to hear we have all those options right here in Tampa. So Allison, who runs the Acute and Complex Coronary Program then?

Allison Joseph, BSN, RN: The Acute and Complex Coronary Program is run by Dr. Sameep Vasaiwala. He's the Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute's acute and chronic chronic coronary program. He's an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida. He's been an interventionalist for over 10 years and has specialized in complex coronary artery disease.

Host: I know you mentioned stents earlier, and I'd love to focus on those for a few minutes. When are stents placed and how long they last?

Allison Joseph, BSN, RN: So stents are placed when we have a blockage in an artery, that needs to be opened so that the blood can flow through, adequately. How long they last is very unpredictable. So, every patient is different, which our patients will hear a lot. And it depends on multiple factors. It's highly dependent on compliance of medications and lifestyle changes to mitigate risk factors. Genetics also plays a role as well.

Host: All right. Well, that kind of brings me to my next question here. Is medication involved? And if so, how long will I need to be on that?

Allison Joseph, BSN, RN: Yep, we definitely, medication is involved. This also depends on the patient, but usually you're put on an anti platelet such as Plavix for anywhere from 6 to 12 months depending on what the procedure was.

Host: Wonderful. Well, wrapping up here, Allison, what does recovery look like? And do you have any best practices to recommend?  

Allison Joseph, BSN, RN: So, recovery is actually very minimal after an interventional cardiology procedure. It normally consists mostly of protecting the catheter site where the catheter was inserted, so either, you know, in your wrist or your leg. No lifting greater than 10 pounds, no squatting or bending for only 5 days. But patients usually go back to the normal routine the following day, and depending on their job, they can go back to work in just a couple of days.

Host: That has been Allison Joseph, and for more information, please visit tgh.org/heart. If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to like, subscribe, and follow Community Connect, presented by TGH, on your favorite podcast platform. I'm Caitlin Whyte, and this is Community Connect, presented by TGH. Thanks for listening.