VOLUME II, ISSUE 2

VOLUME II, ISSUE 2

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

VOLUME III, ISSUE 3

I t’s been 11 years since Livia Bebing was diagnosed with a bone marrow disorder,but she remembers the onset of symptoms like it was yesterday.

“I was exhausted,” the Scott Township resident recalls. “I could fall asleep at

any time. I couldn’t breathe and was always cold.”

But, as the daughter of an “old-school nurse,” Livia says she grew up with the

attitude of “get up and get on with it.” So, she soldiered on. But when she suspected

she might have pneumonia, Livia went to see her primary care physician. Her PCP,

in turn, recommended she see a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in the

diagnosis and treatment of disorders of blood and blood-forming tissues.

6

8

10

12

12

n outdoor enthusiast, avid golfer,

and advertising executive with a

demanding career, Michael Brunner, a

McMurray resident in his 50s, had found

himself unable to perform at the high level

he was used to because of an arthritic right

knee. While he damaged his knee playing

high school sports, it has progressively

gotten worse over the last 10 years and

began imposing on his lifestyle.

“It was pretty much bone on bone at a

certain point,” says Michael, chairman and

CEO of Brunner, based in Downtown

Pittsburgh. “There was a constant aching

to my knee, and sometimes I just felt a

sharp, shooting pain.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

SIPE INFUSIONCENTEROPENSStaff forms a special bond with patients

HORT OPEDIC SURGERYPATIENT REGAINSACTIVE LIFESTYLE

A

OVERCOMING BREAST CANCER

WHEN THE DOCTOR BECOMES THE PATIENT

ASK THE DOCTOR

HEALTH GUIDE WEB RESOURCE

COMMUNITY SURVEY

Sipe Infusion Center patient LIVIA BEBINGwith the Center’s LOUISE LIDDLE, R.N.

Following a series of tests, including a bone marrow

biopsy, St. Clair Hospital hematologist Louis D. Pietragallo,

M.D. explained to Livia that she was suffering from MDS or

Myelodysplastic Syndromes, a group of diseases that affect the

bone marrow and blood. In MDS, a patient’s bone marrow does

not make enough normal blood cells for the body, requiring

the patient to receive regular transfusions of blood.

That was Livia’s introduction to the Hospital’s Infusion

Center, where she received some 187 units of blood over the

next four years. In the beginning, her condition required her to

get blood once a month. But the frequency soon increased to

every two weeks.

Livia says, at the time, there was nothing that could be

done for her MDS, short of a bone marrow transplant. So she

continued to regularly visit the Infusion Center, where she quickly

developed a special relationship with the nurses and other staff

there who were caring for her during each six-hour visit.

Livia is effusive in her praise of the nurses and staff at the

Infusion Center, noting they understand the importance of

“treating the whole person, not just the physical part.”

She also credits them with easing the transition from the

Hospital’s former Infusion Center to its new Carol and Denny

Sipe Infusion Center, which opened to patients in mid-July,

following a formal dedication ceremony attended by members

of the Sipe family.

Livia says she never met benefactor Denny Sipe, who

was a patient at the former Infusion Center, but heard

stories of his camaraderie with employees in the

I nfusion Center and throughout the Hospital.

Denny, who passed away in January of this year,

helped gather input from other patients as to what

they would like to see in the new center, which

is on the Third Floor of the Hospital, just steps

from the Visitors’ Elevators.

The results include 11 heated treatment

chairs that also provide a soothing vibration to

the lower back. Each chair also comes with

its own flat-panel television. Patients also have

access to the Internet. Treatment areas are

separated by privacy walls outfitted with

frosted windows that patients can slide open if

they wish to converse with patients in adjoining

areas. In addition to the 11 treatment chairs, the

center includes four private beds for patients.

P a t i e n t c o m f o r t i s p a r a m o u n t a t t h e S i p e I n f u s i o n C e n t e r w h e r e

SIPE INFUSION CENTERCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Livia continued to regularlyvisit the Infusion Center,

where she quickly developeda special relationship with thenurses and other staff there.

2

This view from a nurse’s station in the new Sipe InfusionCenter shows treatment chairs in private areas thatwere designed with patient input.

Comfort is paramount at the center in that many

outpatients spend up to eight hours in the treatment chairs

receiving blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and injections or

infusions for various ailments such as Crohn’s Disease,

osteoporosis, arthritis, and other auto-immune diagnoses.

(Please see list of services at right.) The center also performs

procedures such as peripherally inserted central catheters

and phlebotomy (the withdrawal of blood).

For Livia, phlebotomy became a familiar word. She says

Dr. Pietragallo enrolled her in a trial for a new experimental

drug called Revlimid for her MDS. She says patients on

Revlimid require “lots of transfusions” when they first start

taking the drug, which is administered in pill form. But getting

four units of blood a week for four weeks can lead to an excessive

amount of iron in the system. So she had to regularly visit the

Infusion Center to have the excess iron removed.

Livia says so many visits were obviously time-consuming,

but she credited the Infusion Center’s convenient hours, which

include Saturdays, with helping her manage her visits with her

full-time job as a producer for INPEX, the Invention & New

Product Exposition, which has been held in Pittsburgh for the

last 26 years.

She also credits Dr. Pietragallo with helping her with her

MDS. She says the Revlimid, which is now FDA-approved,

“cleaned out my bone marrow and allowed my red blood cells

p a t i e n t s s p e n d u p t o e i g h t h o u r s i n t h e t r e a t m e n t c h a i r s .

A private bed in the new Sipe Infusion Center.

to mature.” Today, she no longer needs blood transfusions.

But she now comes to the Sipe Infusion Center for injections

of Vidaza, a drug similar to Revlimid, for her MDS. She

receives the injections on five consecutive days, once a month.

Livia says all of the medical personnel at St. Clair Hospital

are both gifted and “incredibly nice,” citing Dr. Pietragallo, her

gynecologist Stephanie S. Brown, M.D., and her podiatric

surgeon David C. Puleo, D.P.M. of the Hospital’s Wound Care

Center, by name.

“The medical care you get at St. Clair is great,” Livia says.

“But it is the personal care and attention you get here that puts

St. Clair above all others.”

3

SIPE INFUSION CENTERSERVICES

• Administration of IV Chemotherapy agents,IV hydration, medications and antibiotics

• Administration of blood/blood components(6-8 hour procedure)

• Therapeutic phlebotomy

• Obtaining specimens for designated lab studiessuch as skin test, stimulation test, tolerance tests

• Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters andmid-line catheter insertions

• Maintenance of IV devices, including de-clottingof central IV catheters and repair of tunneledIV device

• Subcutaneous and intramuscular injections

• Administration of first dose for homeinfusion services

With a physician’s order, patients can schedule appointmentsby contacting the Sipe Infusion Center at 412.942.3550. Foradded convenience, patients may also pre-register throughPatient Access Services when making the appointment.The Center is open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

D r . T u c k e r u s e s s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t , m i n i m a l i n c i s i o n s u r g i c a l t e c h n i q u e s

ORTHO PATIENT REGAINS LIFESTYLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

somewhat and actually pushed back the potential for surgery

for about three years. But soon the pain became intolerable,

to the point where he had to begin eliminating his favorite

sporting activities like working out and golfing. Even walking

caused discomfort, and he would have to stop and take breaks

when walking Downtown.

Finally, Michael elected to have total knee replacement

surgery. After doing some extensive research, he selected

Jon B. Tucker, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon

at St. Clair Hospital.

Maintaining a leading edge in his

areas of subspecialization, Dr. Tucker is also

a consultant to a major implant technology

company in the design of new surgical

implants and innovative techniques. He

holds patents in the design of several

surgical instruments.

“The predictability, durability, and quality

of total knee replacements improved

substantially over the past 30 years to the

point where younger people, under the age

of 60, who undergo this procedure can expect

to have outcomes that are compatible with

returning to very active lifestyles,” says

Dr. Tucker.

According to Dr. Tucker, about a third of

individuals who have arthritis of the knee and

require surgery are good candidates for a

smaller operation, a partial knee replacement.

People in this category have arthritis limited

to only one part of the knee. While technically

demanding in the OR and requiring special

surgical training, the experience for the

patient is easier and offers a much quicker

recovery than a total knee replacement. In

most cases, patients, including Michael, have

knees that are totally involved with arthritis

and need full replacement knee surgery.

Like anyone who has experienced similar symptoms,

Michael tried everything to alleviate the pain, including

over-the-counter medication for pain and arthritis, cortisone

shots, as well as braces to support the knee during physical

activity. He also received an injection of hyaluronic acid, derived

from rooster combs, every six months. This alleviated the pain

4

DR. TUCKER’S orthopedic patient, MICHAEL BRUNNER, outside of his Downtown office.

t o l e s s e n p a i n a n d i n c r e a s e s t r e n g t h a n d m o b i l i t y f o r p a t i e n t s .

5

Surgery becomes necessary when they reach the point where

they are unable to carry out their daily activities without

severe pain or cannot do them at all.

“Combine these limitations with the failure of conservative

treatments like injections, anti-inflammatory medicines and

activity modifications, then you are a candidate for knee

replacement surgery,” Dr. Tucker says.

Dr. Tucker and his team pay close attention to best

practices for knee replacements. He uses a state-of-the-art

surgical technique, known as a minimal incision Subvastus

approach, which leaves patients with less pain, more strength,

and better mobility more quickly after surgery because no

muscles or tendons are cut.

“While this approach is more difficult for the surgeon in

the OR, it’s much better for the patient,” Dr. Tucker says.

“I’ve also eliminated the use of a surgical drain in the knee

and I use long-duration nerve blocks after surgery—there’s

less pain and less blood loss for the patients.”

After meeting with Dr. Tucker, Michael felt comfortable in

moving forward with the surgery. “I thought he had a thorough,

straightforward, and fact-based approach,” recalls Michael.

“He answered every question I asked and explained it to me in

terms that I could understand. I also didn’t feel as though he

was looking at the clock when I was speaking with him.”

Since they are durable devices, partial and total knee

replacements last 20 years or longer if they are implanted

JON B. TUCKER, M.D.earned his medical degree at the Universityof Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. He completedhis internship in general surgery, residencyin Orthopedic Surgery and a fellowship inSports Medicine at the Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania. He is boardcertified by the American Board ofOrthopedic Surgery.

properly. Dr. Tucker says that patients have a 99 percent

chance that they’ll still be doing well after that first year and a

90 percent to 95 percent chance that they will do well for 20 or

more years. Fortunately most implants that loosen or wear

out can be safely revised in a second surgery.

Michael’s knee was operated on earlier this year and after

four months of intensive physical therapy, he’s feeling great.

Although he still experiences aches from time to time, the

difference for Michael now is that the pain goes away.

“Right now, it’s all systems go,” he says. “I feel like I’m

able to do things I want to do without pain. I’m not able to play

basketball or singles’ tennis, but I couldn’t do that before the

surgery anyway,” he says with a laugh. “But I’m able to walk,

ride a bike, and play golf. I can do that without pain and

therefore that allows me to function at a higher level, which

is important to me.”

JON B. TUCKER, M.D. reviews a knee x-ray with his staff.

“– Knee replacement patient Michael Brunner

I’m able to walk,

ride a bike, and play golf

without pain.”

D r . B u d w a y s e e s h e r r o l e a s a n e d u c a t o r a n d p a r t n e r i n h e r p a t i e n t s ’

When Mary Lynn Heindl, 74, of Mt. Lebanon was

diagnosed with breast cancer on March 17, she

was flabbergasted. An avid swimmer and gardener who

loves working in her yard, Mary had been in near perfect

health her entire life, with the exception of high

cholesterol. Breast cancer was the last thing she figured

she’d be diagnosed with.

“One day I just started experiencing chest pains, and

since my family has a history of heart disease, I thought I

was having a heart attack,” Mary says. “To discover that I

had breast cancer absolutely shocked me.”

Mary’s primary care physician recommended that she

see Raye J. Budway, M.D., the newest addition to the

Breast Surgery program at St. Clair Hospital. Dr. Budway

6

Breast Cancer Suvrivor’s Inspiring StoryOVERCOMING BREAST CANCERMary Lynn Heindl

DR. BUDWAY talks with patient MARY LYNN HEINDL in a follow-up visit after her breast surgery.

’ t r e a t m e n t , g u i d i n g t h e m t h r o u g h d i a g n o s i s t o s u r g e r y s t e p b y s t e p .

specializes in the diagnosis, workup and treatment of

breast cancer. As a participating surgeon in the recent

National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project’s

(NSABP) clinical trials, her work has helped inform

changes in the treatment protocols for breast cancer,

a disease which affects more than 200,000 women and

men annually.

Dr. Budway operated on Mary on April 15, performing

a left segmental mastectomy, needle localization, sentinel

lymph node dissection. The NSABP, which is supported

by the National Cancer Institute, has published studies

that have led to the establishment of lumpectomy with

radiation over radical mastectomy as the standard surgical

treatment for breast cancer.

“While we discussed several surgical options, I was

really interested in a minimally invasive approach to

surgery and opted for that,” says Mary. “I thought that

minimally invasive surgery was cutting-edge and I

wanted to have the most modern technique available.”

As a surgeon, Dr. Budway is a proponent of a less

invasive surgical approach to breast cancer, and sees

herself as an educator and partner in her patient’s

treatment. One of her most important roles, she says, is

to guide her patients through the unfamiliar and upending

journey of breast cancer diagnosis and surgery, step by

step. Mary could certainly attest to that. Because of the

instant rapport she developed with Dr. Budway, she felt

at ease before, during and after her surgery.

7

“Dr. Budway was very gracious,” says Mary. “She took

the time to answer every question I had, while explaining

the whole process of cancer, possible treatment options,

and how my body would react to various treatments.”

More importantly, Mary says that her impending

surgery didn’t seem as intimidating after speaking

with Dr. Budway.

“She explained the surgical process to me in great

detail,” says Mary. “I knew exactly what was going to

happen during the surgery so I felt more involved in

the entire process. As a result, it didn’t seem so scary

to me. She put me at ease and I didn’t have any

reservations anymore.”

A couple of months after her surgery, Mary says she’s

feeling wonderful.

“I’m getting my energy back and feeling well,” she

says. “All of my tests have come back and it has been

looking good.”

Mary’s advice for others who are experiencing the

same apprehension about breast cancer surgery is to

visit with a surgeon like Dr. Budway — someone who

instills confidence in you and addresses your concerns

in a patient and understanding manner.

“You don’t want a physician or surgeon who is going

to sugarcoat everything for you,” she says. “You want

someone who is confident and calm because they will

make you feel the same way.”

A couple of months after hersurgery, Mary says she’s

feeling wonderful.

RAYE J. BUDWAY, M.D.earned her medical degree at HahnemannUniversity in Philadelphia. She completedher residency training in general surgeryat The Western Pennsylvania Hospital andadditional training in surgical critical careat the University of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter. She served as the Site SurgicalClerkship Program Director for TempleUniversity Medical School, Site ProgramDirector for the Allegheny General HospitalGeneral Surgery Residency program and Director of the SurgicalBreast Disease Program and Surgical Intensive Care at The WesternPennsylvania Hospital. She is board certified in surgical critical careand general surgery. She is a Fellow of the American College ofSurgeons and serves on the Fellowship's Commission on Cancer.

S t . C l a i r H o s p i t a l i s a m o n g t h e l e a d i n g h o s p i t a l s i n t h e c o u n t r y

St. Clair Cardiologist SharesPatient Experience

following an 18-hour work day, he was prompted to

schedule a leg ultrasound the next morning. The

results of the ultrasound were conclusive—his entire

right leg was clotted.

“As a physician, I understood immediately the danger

of the situation,” Dr. MacDougall said. “I knew that a clot

could travel to my lungs and was potentially lethal.”

Since DVT blocks blood flow, it creates blood clots

that can break loose at any time and travel through the

blood to the lungs causing a condition known as

pulmonary embolism, or PE. PE can obstruct circulation

to vital organs, causing organ damage

or, in some cases, death.

After immediately being

placed on blood thinners, Dr.

MacDougall was scheduled that

For the past 24 years, St. Clair cardiologist James

MacDougall, M.D. has been focused on providing

the highest level of compassionate care to his patients.

But earlier this year, he found himself in a very different

role—that as patient.

Dr. MacDougall developed deep vein thrombosis, or

DVT—a highly treatable condition that nonetheless

claims the lives of 100,000 individuals

annually. DVT is the formation of a

blood clot or thrombus in one or

more of the deep veins in the

body, usually attacking the

legs. When Dr. MacDougall

began experiencing symptoms

of DVT—including a persistent

soreness above his right knee

joint for several weeks—he

initially believed it was the

result of a recent

weekend of skiing.

But after his

right leg

became

significantly

swollen

Cardiologist JAMES H. MACDOUGALL, M.D. conferswith his practice manager, TONI SCHULZENDORF.

8

t o o f f e r a n e w , h i g h l y s p e c i a l i z e d m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t f o r D V T .

dissolved the clot, allowing the liquefied clot to be

extracted from Dr. MacDougall’s vein.

With his leg feeling significantly better, Dr.

MacDougall was discharged the next day and returned

to work two days later. To prevent further clots from

forming, he took a blood-thinning medication for the

next six months.

Dr. MacDougall is fortunate to have recognized the

symptoms of DVT (Please see DVT Primer, Page 11), since

an early diagnosis and treatment is vital to protecting

an individual’s long-term health. If clots are not treated

aggressively, post-thrombotic syndrome can develop—a

condition that results in damage to the valves in the

large veins. The lasting effects of post-thrombotic

syndrome can be quite disabling, including chronic

swelling, the development of varicose veins and/or

afternoon to have the clot removed. Fortunately, he

didn’t have to travel far. St. Clair Hospital is among the

leading hospitals in the country to offer a new, highly

specialized medical treatment for DVT—the Covidien

Trellis system of mechanical thrombolysis, or clot

removal. The innovative Trellis system is designed to

swiftly break down and remove dangerous blood clots in

one to two hours, and generally requires only a one

night hospital stay. St. Clair surgeon and colleague

David Catalane, M.D. would perform the procedure.

While Dr. MacDougall is perfectly comfortable

performing his duties as a seasoned cardiologist, assuming

the patient role was new territory. He found himself

experiencing an emotion common to the majority of

patients—anxiety.

“My anxiety was certainly heightened,” he says. “But

Dr. Catalane explained the procedure well, and it

sounded very straightforward. One thing he said stayed

with me, however. He told me, ‘If we don’t do this

procedure and only treat this clot conservatively, the

leg will bother you for the rest of your life.’ That was

all I needed to hear.”

St. Clair’s Trellis system enabled Dr. Catalane to

quickly isolate Dr. MacDougall’s blood clot on both sides

by a balloon that had been carefully guided through his

vein. A clot-busting drug was then injected into the clot

via a specialized spinning wire. The spinning action

My anxiety was certainlyheightened, but Dr. Catalaneexplained the procedurewell, and it soundedvery straightforward.

“”–James H. MacDougall, M.D.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

9

Deep vein thrombosis or DVT is the formation of ablood clot in the deep veins of the body. The clotcan potentially travel and be fatal if not treated.

Direction of blood flow

Superficial vein

Skin

Muscle

Thrombosis in deep vein

Swelling and inflammationbelow blockage

S t . C l a i r H o s p i t a l h a s d e c r e a s e d t h e i n c i d e n c e o f

someone infected with MRSA. This

bacteria can be anywhere in our

environment, and is particularly

present where there are lots of

sick people, such as nursing homes.

Another very difficult problem is

Clostridium difficile colitis (C. Diff), a diarrheal illness that we

usually see in patients who are receiving, or have recently

received, antibiotics. It can cause anything from mild diarrhea

to severe illness requiring removal of the colon or even death.

C. Diff can easily contaminate the environment and can be

transmitted to others’ hands.

If you are in a hospital, you will notice there are some rooms

with signs indicating isolation. This means that staff members

must wear gowns and gloves before entering, and must wash

their hands when they leave. This is to prevent the spread of

these and other bacteria. Unfortunately, some hospital

visitors―perhaps believing they are at no risk and are no risk

to others―do not wear the gown and gloves.

We are looking to residents of the community to help us

make progress in fighting these difficult infections by following

the same precautions we do, and by washing their hands

before and after they interact with their loved ones. I’m

confident that with the help of our strong community, and

our continuous efforts, we’ll make progress on even the most

stubborn hospital-associated infections.

ASK THE DOCTOR

Q: I’ve been reading a lot lately abouthospital-associated infections. What are theprimary causes and are there any precautionsmy family and I can take to avoid theseinfections in a hospital?

A:In 1847 Ignacz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physicianworking in Vienna, revolutionized hospital care by discovering

that physicians were infecting mothers who had just given

birth. He further discovered that, if physicians wash their

hands with a diluted chlorinated lime solution, they could

decrease the incidence of these infections. Prior to that,

mothers had a higher likelihood of dying during childbirth

in a hospital than at home.

While the risk of hospital-associated infections is still a reality

even in 2011, hospitals, including St. Clair, have taken the

approach that most, if not all, of these infections, can be prevented.

In fact, St. Clair is very proud of its results. The Hospital has

decreased the incidence of certain infections to a rate that is

near zero. Central line associated bacteremias (CLABS),

infections from large IV catheters used in the sickest patients,

have gone from 13 to one in the past five years. Infections from

urinary catheters and in patients on life-supporting breathing

machines (ventilators) are near zero.

One particularly stubborn bacteria is Methicillin Resistant

Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA. Prevalent in the community,

it causes many different hospital-associated infections, from

pneumonia to wound infection, to infections in the blood stream.

It is hard to treat, and can be fatal. Some hospital patients may

have this bacteria on their skin before becoming sick with it,

while, in others, it is brought to them by someone else, either

directly, or by touching an object such as a doorknob, bedside

table or elevator button, that had previously been touched by

STEPHEN M. COLODNY, M.D.

10

STEPHEN M. COLODNY, M.D. earned his medical degree at New YorkMedical College in Valhalla, N.Y., completed his residency in InternalMedicine at Bayside Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. and completeda post-doctoral fellowship in infectious disease at Yale-New HavenHospital in New Haven, Conn. He is board certified in internal medicineand infectious diseases. Dr. Colodny is Chief of the Infectious DiseasesDivision at St. Clair Hospital and practices with Pittsburgh InfectiousDiseases, Ltd.

c e r t a i n h o s p i t a l - a s s o c i a t e d i n f e c t i o n s t o n e a r z e r o .

Role ReversalCONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

JAMES H. MACDOUGALL, M.D. earned his medical degree at Bowman Gray School of Medicineof Wake Forest University and completed his internship,residency and fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital,Pittsburgh. He is board certified in internal medicine andcardiovascular diseases. Dr. MacDougall practices withSouth Hills Cardiology Associates.

11

DAVID B. CATALANE, M.D.earned his medical degree at the University of PittsburghSchool of Medicine and completed his residency at MercyHospital in Pittsburgh. He is board certified by the AmericanBoard of Surgery. Dr. Catalane practices with CatalaneSurgical Associates, P.C.

ulcerations, and changes in skin color. Although blood-thinning

medications are helpful in treating post-thrombotic syndrome,

the disorder never completely disappears; therefore, aggressive

treatment of clots—within 14 days—is essential in avoiding or

lessening complications.

Unfortunately, many individuals disregard the symptoms of

DVT—which include leg pain and tenderness, swelling, weakness,

skin that is warm to the touch, and discoloration of the skin—

believing them to be normal symptoms of aging. But Dr. Catalane

urges individuals to be especially attentive and seek immediate

medical attention if symptoms coincide during or after a long car,

train, bus, or plane ride, if your body is dehydrated, if you take

birth control medication, if you smoke, or if you are overweight.

While Dr. MacDougall is grateful that the DVT in his leg was

diagnosed and treated immediately—allowing him to quickly

return to his role as St. Clair cardiologist—his experiences as

a patient have further solidified the high regard he has always

felt for his workplace.

“Everyone at St. Clair was so friendly, so professional. I

couldn’t have been more pleased. And the results of the Trellis

procedure were fantastic. My leg is perfect. I can’t speak highly

enough of Dr. Catalane and St. Clair Hospital.”

DVT Primerby Samuel T. Simone, Jr., M.D.

• Pain• Swelling

• Warmth• Redness

SAMUEL T. SIMONE, JR., M.D.is Chief of the Section of VascularSurgery at St. Clair Hospital.He earned his medical degreeat Temple University School ofMedicine, Philadelphia, Pa., andcompleted his internship andresidency in general surgery atMercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, anda fellowship in vascular surgery atPresbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center,Philadelphia. Dr. Simone is board certified in generalsurgery and vascular surgery by the American Boardof Surgery. He practices with General & VascularSurgery Associates.

Deep Vein Thrombosis is a condition where a bloodclot (thrombus) forms in the vein (most commonlyfound in the leg). The clot can limit blood flow throughthe vein that can lead to any or all of the followingsymptoms in the involved leg:

Common risk factors:

• Previous DVT/Pulmonary Embolus

• Bleeding Disorder

• Cancer

• Obesity

• Pregnancy

• Smoking

• Major Surgery

Deep Vein Thrombosis Diagnosis – If a patient’shistory, symptoms and physical exam have theappearance of a DVT, tests will be needed to confirm thediagnosis. Tests may include x-rays, ultrasonography,Venography and a D-dimer blood test.

Deep Vein Thrombosis Treatment – The goal oftreatment is to prevent additional clots from formingand preventing a Pulmonary Embolus (blood clot inthe lung). Anticoagulation is the main treatment andin some individuals a filter in the vena cava may berecommended. Recommended anticoagulation canrange from 6 months to lifelong, depending on theparticular situation.

• Certain Medications-Birth Control Pills- HormoneReplacementTherapy- Tamoxifen

• Trauma

• Prolonged sitting,especially for six ormore hours on a plane,in a car or bedrest

ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL1000 Bower Hill RoadPittsburgh, PA 15243

ST. CLAIR HOSPITALGeneral & Patient Information 412.942.4000

Physician Referral Service 412.942.6560

Outpatient Center—Village Square 412.942.7100

Medical Imaging Scheduling 412.942.8150

www.stclair.org

Followuson twitter at: www.twitter.com/stclairhospital

HouseCall is a publication of St. Clair Hospital. Articles are for

informational purposes and are not intended to serve as medical

advice. Please consult your personal physician.

VOLUME II, ISSUE 2

VOLUME II, ISSUE 2

Health Needs Assessment the Hospital is currently conducting.”

Other aspects of the outreach assessment include conducting

one-on-one meetings with community officials and a series of

smaller meetings and focus groups.

Once the assessment is complete, the health needs identified

in which St. Clair can have the greatest impact will be addressed

through new or redesigned programs.

EALTHY FEEDBACKHSt. Clair Hospital Seeks Input On Community Health Needs

Filled with nearly 40,000

pages of information,

St. Clair Hospital’s online

Health Guide helps

patients check symptoms,

research a health topic,

gain information on

medications, and even

answer questions about

an upcoming surgery. While an online guide can’t replace

a visit with your physician, this valuable resource can

help make you a more informed patient so you can

better manage your health and that of your family.

St. Clair Hospital is reaching out to area residents seeking

their opinions on which health needs they deem most

important for their respective communities. You can submit your

opinion via the Hospital’s website where you will be directed to

a series of questions that help identify the health issues most

important to area residents.

Topics cover the types of experiences encountered when

trying to obtain health care, satisfaction with services in the

community, barriers to local services, and identification of major

health issues facing the community.

“Through this grassroots approach we hope to gain further

insight into what matters most to area residents,” said

Andrea L. Kalina, Vice President, Human Resources and

Organizational Advancement at St. Clair. “This is just one,

but a very important part, of a multifaceted Community

To access the online St. Clair Hospital health needs survey,

please visit www.stclair.org.

Visit www.stclair.org and click on the Health Guide tab.

EALTHY INFO ONLINEWWW.STCLAIR.ORG

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