Dr. Timothy Whelan, Medical Director of MUSC's Lung Transplant Program, and Dr. Chadrick Denlinger, its Surgical Director, discuss how the new Lung Transplant Program at MUSC will benefit South Carolina patients. MUSC has already transplanted eight patients with overall successful outcomes. Lung transplant at MUSC is now approved for reimbursement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. With the establishment of the Lung Transplant Center, the last piece has been put in place for a comprehensive transplant center at MUSC. Read more about lung transplant at MUSC in the May/June 2013 issue of Progressnotes, availabe at MUSChealth.com/progressnotes on May 7.

Cassandra Salgado, M.D., MUSC Hospital Epidemiologist, and Linda Formby, RN, CIC, Manager of Infection Control at MUSC, discuss MUSC's successes in controlling hospital-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) through a series of hospital-wide initiatives, such as programs to improve hand hygiene. As a result of these efforts, MUSC has maintained rates of CDIs that are well below national benchmarks and has reduced the rate of CLABSI by 69%. To read more about patient safety initiatives at MUSC, see the patient safety (March/April 2013) issue of Progressnotes, MUSC's medical magazine (all issues available at muschealth.com/progressnotes).

Gerard Silvestri, M.D., Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Director of Bronchoscopy at the Medical University of South Carolina, was the first pulmonologist in the state to offer patients with medication-refractory severe asthma a new treatment option—bronchial thermoplasty.

 Bronchial thermoplasty using the  Alair^® system (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA), which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010 in select patients with severe asthma whose symptoms are not controlled by medications, attempts to achieve symptom control by reducing, through controlled bursts of thermal energy, the smooth muscle mass that tends to build up and become hyperresponsive in patients with severe asthma. During bronchial thermoplasty, a catheter with an expandable electrode array is advanced into the airway via a bronchoscope. When expanded, the electrode sits snugly in the airway (Figure 2) and can deliver a 10-second burst of radiofrequency energy that is carefully calibrated to reduce the mass of smooth tissue in the airway without affecting surrounding tissue.

 Treatment is administered over three sessions, with each of the lower lobes of the bronchi treated in the first two sessions and the top of both bronchi treated in the third.

 The Asthma Intervention Research 2 (AIR-2) trial, which randomized patients to either bronchial thermoplasty or to a sham therapy, showed substantial improvements in secondary outcomes for those treated with bronchial thermoplasty, prompting speedy approval of the Alair system by the US Food and Drug Administration even though the study’s primary end points were not met.¹ Impressive gains were noted in the posttreatment period (6-52 weeks), including a 32% reduction in severe exacerbations (ie, those that required systemic corticosteroids or doubling of the dose of inhaled corticosteroids), significantly fewer visits to the emergency room, and fewer days absent from work (1.32±0.36 days/year vs. 3.92±1.55 days/year).

 Patients may experience some increased airway inflammation in the first few weeks after the procedure, but these should resolve in time. The procedure has been shown to be safe at five years, and the durability of its effect has been demonstrated to two years.² 

 According to Dr. Silvestri, "Early results have shown that bronchial thermoplasty can make a life-changing improvement in the symptoms of patients with severe asthma." To learn more about bronchial thermoplasty, watch the video interview with Dr. Silvestri below.

References

¹ Castro C, Rubin AS, Laviolette M, et al, for the AIR-2 Trial Study Group. Effectiveness and safety of bronchial thermoplasty in the treatment of severe asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;181:116-124. Available at dx.doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200903-0354OC.

² Wahidi MM,  Kraft M. Bronchial thermoplasty for severe asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012; 185(7):709-714. Available at dx.doi.org/ 10.1164/rccm.201105-0883CI

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously issued guidance for medical professionals that all products distributed by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) should be retained, secured, and withheld from use. 

Based on new information from the ongoing investigation, the FDA advises follow-up with patients who received an injectable product, including an ophthalmic drug that is injectable or used in conjunction with eye surgery or a cardioplegic solution bought from or produced by NECC after May 21, 2012.

The FDA does not urge follow-up for lower-risk NECC products, such as topicals (eg, lotions, creams, eyedrops not used in conjunction with surgery) and suppositories.

Bruce Frankel, M.D., a neurosurgeon and Director of the Spine Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, provides an update in this video interview on the nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak in patients who have received a contaminated steroid injection as part of a spinal block. This strain of fungal meningitis is not contagious so only those who received the contaminated steroids via an injection to the spine are at risk. Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.

As of Wednesay, October 11, 2012, twelve people had died as a result of the outbreak, and 130 cases were confirmed. As many as 17,000 vials of steroid contaminated with fungal meningitis, which have since been recalled, were shipped from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, MA, to 23 states, most along the Eastern seaboard. As many as 13,000 patients may have received spinal injections with the contaminated steroids. Cases have been reported in eleven states, with Tennessee and Michigan being particularly hard hit.

Dr. Frankel emphasizes that MUSC never uses such compounding pharmacies but instead buys directly from the manufacturer to minimize the chances for contamination. According to Dr. Frankel, “the more hands that touch the drug, the greater the chance for contamination.”

No cases have been reported in South Carolina, though a clinic in Mount Pleasant, SC, received and administered some of the contaminated steroids.

Symptoms, which include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, and altered mental status, typically appear within two weeks to a month; however, in one recent case, symptoms appeared 42 days after the injection. It could be early November before the full scope of the problem is known.

According to Dr. Frankel, patients showing such symptoms should immediately seek medical treatment  by contacting their physician or going to the emergency room. A delay in receiving treatment could result in more serious illness or even death. MUSC’s adult and pediatric emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can evaluate patients who believe they may have been exposed to fungal meningitis via a contaminated steroid injection to the spine.

Intravenous antifungal agents are typically used to treat meningitis; however, intrathecal administration (administration into the cerebrospinal fluid by injection into the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord) may be required for cases that do not respond to standard therapy. Those with compromised immune systems are at particularly high risk and could take longer to respond to treatment.

Dr. Frankel advises patients to be guardians of their own health by asking questions about the medications they are receiving and the procedures they are undergoing. Those receiving a spinal block might ask the source of the steroid and whether a single- or multi-use vial is used (the latter increases the chance of infections though this practice is not implicated in the current outbreak) and what the complications of such a procedure might be.

For more information about MUSC’s Spine Center and its multidisciplinary team of specialists, visit our Web page on MUSChealth.com. 

On September 24, 2012, David B. Adams, M.D., Co-Medical Director of MUSC’s Digestive Disease Center, implanted the LINX Reflux Management System (Torax Medical, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN), a device for managing medication-resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in two patients. MUSC is one of fewer than 20 centers in the country and one of only three in the Southeast chosen by the device’s manufacturer to roll out LINX, which was approved as a safe and effective treatment for medication-resistant GERD in March of 2012. MUSC was chosen in part because of the reputation, clinical expertise and leadership of Donald O. Castell, M.D., Director of the Esophageal Disorders Program, in treating GERD and of the top-flight program he has built at MUSC.

The device consists of a “necklace” of magnetized titanium beads that can be placed around the lower esophageal sphincter to provide better closure and to prevent reflux of food or bile from the stomach into the esophagus (right). The device is inserted laparoscopically, meaning that five ¼-inch slits are cut into the abdomen through which a telescope is inserted; the images recorded by the telescope can then be seen on a television monitor. Surgeons use sutures on the device to position it into place (below). The procedure typically takes less than an hour.

Once in place, the device prevents or minimizes reflux, leading to a less acidic environment in the esophagus and to fewer of the hallmark symptoms of GERD (recurring heartburn, regurgitation, difficulty lying flat).

The dynamic device is “beautifully engineered,” according to Dr. Adams, in that the “necklace” of magnets tightens when the esophagus is at rest but loosens to allow passage of food when food is swallowed (below, right). Its dynamic nature helps ensure its durability. It is not likely to erode into the stomach (a problem with an earlier plastic prosthesis called the Angelchick) because the tension of the necklace is continually adjusting to the pressure placed on the esophagus (ie, by swallowing); a collagen sheath that naturally develops around it renders it almost biologic and helps protect against damage to any surrounding tissue.

Side effects with the LINX device are less severe and less frequent than with the most widely used treatment for medication-resistant GERD, Nissen fundoplication, a procedure in which the top of the stomach is essentially tied around the bottom part of the esophagus to improve closure. Instead of the typical one- to two- day hospitalization after Nissen fundoplication, patients implanted with a LINX device can typically go home the same day because they have less pronounced symptoms (ie, less trouble swallowing and less pain). Also, unlike the Nissen fundoplication, which cannot be reversed, the LINX device can be removed should the need arise.

The LINX device is not currently recommended for patients with large hiatal hernias (>3cm), a BMI greater than 35, a history of trouble swallowing, or Barrett’s esophagus (a sometimes precancerous condition characterized by a damaged lining to the esophagus). Patients should exhaust nonsurgical treatments for GERD before considering LINX.

Once implanted with the titanium-bead implant, patients should avoid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because the beads could cause it to malfunction and cause harm.

For more information on LINX, contact Mary E. Johnson, RN at 843-876-3090.

To view a video demonstrating the design of the LINX device, click here.

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) received the Rising Star Award at the annual meeting of the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) held September 13-14, 2012, in Orlando, FL, along with Duke University Hospital, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic. Rising Star Award winners moved up 20 or more spots in the UHC Quality and Accountability Study rankings since last year.  Unlike other rankings of “top” hospitals such as U.S. News or HealthGrades, which rely at least in part on subjective assessments of reputation, UHC relies solely on objective data and analysis of patient outcomes. MUSC ranked particularly high in safety (fourth) and patient centeredness (eighth). Key measures assessed for safety were postsurgical complications and bloodstream infections. Physician and nurse communication, pain management, cleanliness, and staff responsiveness all factored into scoring for patient centeredness.

UHC is an alliance of the nation’s leading nonprofit academic medical centers, which are focused on delivering world-class patient care. Based in Chicago, Ill, UHC fosters collaboration with and among its 116 academic medical center and 276 affiliated hospital members through its renowned programs and services in the areas of comparative data and analytics, performance improvement, supply chain management, strategic research, and public policy. UHC helps its members achieve excellence in quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Formed in 1984, UHC’s membership includes a majority of the nonprofit academic medical centers in the United States.  For more information, visit uhc.edu.

Congratulations are in order to several faculty members of the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science who have recently received national or international recognition. Dr. Joseph Helpern was honored as a Distin­guished Investigator for the Academy of Radiology Research. Dr. Gayatri Joshi was cho­sen as this year’s recipient of the American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) award. Lucy Frank Squire received the Distinguished Resident Award in Diagnostic Radiology, and Dr. Joseph Schoepf will be awarded honorary membership in the Hungarian Society of Radiology in September.

Watch the video interview with John S. Ikonomids, M.D., Chief of the Division of Cardothoracic Surgery at MUSC, and Daniel H. Steinberg, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at the MUSC Heart and Vascular Center, discussing transcathether aortic-valve replacement  (TAVR), a minimally invasive alternative to surgical aortic-valve replacement in select patients with severe aortic stenosis. TAVR is already approved for inoperable patients and  has been recommended for approval by an FDA advisory panel in high-risk surgical patients. Drs. Ikonomidis and Steinberg also discuss MUSC's involvement as a site in the PARTNER 2 trial, which will examine the use of a smaller device in intermediate-risk surgical patients.

Don C. Rockey, M.D., will be the new chair of the Department of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Rockey comes to MUSC from the University of Texas Southwestern where he serves as professor of internal medicine and chief of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases. He will join MUSC on September 1, 2012. Rockey completed an internship and residency in Categorical Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) from 1984-1988, serving as chief resident from 1987-1988. He completed fellowships in Gastroenterology at UCSF from 1988-1992. He served on the faculty at UCSF and Duke University Medical Center prior to joining the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern in 2005. While leading the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern, he led the development of strong clinical, educational, and both basic and clinical research programs.

“We were thrilled to recruit Dr. Rockey as Chair of the Department of Medicine,” said Etta Pisano, vice president for Medical Affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. “He brings an exceptional combination of clinical, research, teaching, and administrative skills to lead the growth and development of the department.”

Rockey is a member of the American Association of Physicians and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease and a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Physicians. Rockey has also served as a member of the NIH’s Hepatobiliary Pathophysiology Study Section, as an associate editor for Hepatology and Liver International, and has served on a number of journal editorial boards. He has authored over 200 publications and has given numerous invited lectures.

Rockey received his B.S. in biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and his M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia in 1984, winning numerous awards for academic excellence.

In early June 2012, the South Carolina Heart Valve Center (HVC) at MUSC was approved by Edwards Lifesciences, the manufacturer of the Edwards SAPIEN and the smaller Edwards SAPIEN XT transcatheter heart valves, as one of only 50 sites nationwide for the PARTNER 2 trial (NCT01314313) of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using SAPIEN XT in intermediate-risk patients.

This trial is an extension of the original PARTNER trial (NCT00530894), which compared TAVR using the Edwards SAPIEN valve versus surgical aortic replacement in patients at high surgical risk (cohort A) and TAVR versus medical management in patients who were not candidates for surgical aortic replacement (cohort B).  Data from cohort B of the original PARTNER trial led to FDA approval in November 2011 for its use in patients who are not candidates for aortic valve replacement.

On June 13, 2012, on the basis of data from cohort A, the FDA’s Circulatory Systems Devices Panel recommended approval of TAVR for use in high-risk surgical patients. The FDA has 100 days to decide whether it will follow the panel’s recommendation.

PARTNER 2 (NCT01314313) will compare the safety and effectiveness of the smaller SAPIEN XT transcatheter heart valve versus surgical valve replacement in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at intermediate surgical risk.

The HVC has been performing TAVR for inoperable patients since shortly after its approval by the FDA for that indication. It plans to enroll its first intermediate-risk patients in September of this year. If, as expected, the FDA accepts the recommendation of the Circulatory Systems Devices Panel, TAVR using the Edwards SAPIEN device will also be approved for high-risk surgical patients by September, and the HVC will immediately begin offering the procedure in this population.

For a referral to the TAVR program, contact MEDULINE at 1-800-922-5250 or 843-792-2200 and ask to be connected to John S. Ikonomidis, M.D., PhD, Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at MUSC's HVC; Daniel H. Steinberg, M.D., the primary interventional cardiologist at the HVC involved in the TAVR program; or Suzanne Richardson, RN, the TAVR program coordinator.

This free webinar sponsored by SCHOOLS is part one of a four part stroke series brought to you by REACH MUSC. This program is being presented by Dr. Robert Adams, Dr. Daniel Lackland, and Dr. Alison Yanders.

Continuing Education credits are available and you can participate at one of the many SCHOOLS sites across the state.  Learn more or register online at the SCHOOLS website or you can download a flyer with additional details.

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
• Demonstrate the process for assisting a Remote Stroke Consultant in performing the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) assessment on a patient via the Remote Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke (REACH) platform
• Recommend the use of the NIHSS for assessing stroke patients

The South Carolina Heart Valve Center (HVC) at MUSC is the first center in South Carolina and among the first in the nation to perform transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR), a cutting-edge procedure for implanting a heart valve that does not require open heart surgery. Although surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains the gold standard for treatment of severe aortic stenosis, TAVR makes treatment available to patients in whom surgery is contraindicated because of advanced age, frailty, or poor lung function (among other reasons) who would otherwise have gone untreated. According to John S. Ikonomidis, M.D., PhD, Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at MUSC, “It’s difficult, if you look across the medical community, to find a single procedure that modifies mortality in the way this procedure has in medically managed patients.”

Both TAVR and aortic valve replacement are treatments for severe aortic stenosis, or the obstruction of blood flow across the aortic valve because of calcific plaque. An estimated 2% to 9% of the elderly have aortic stenosis. Although aortic stenosis can gradually develop over years without symptoms, once symptomatic it takes a high toll in terms of mortality, higher even than a variety of cancers, including lung cancer. Patients with severe aortic stenosis have a survival of only 50% at 2 years and 20% at 5 years if the condition is left untreated.

Until TAVR, those deemed unsuitable for surgical AVR had to face such grim statistics knowing that no treatments outside of medical management were open to them. It is estimated that 43% to 74% of patients with severe aortic stenosis never undergo surgery, either by choice or because it is contraindicated. Preliminary data from the PARTNER trial (on which FDA approval was based; NCT00530894) showed a 20% to 25% reduction in mortality at 2 years with TAVR versus medical management alone.¹ Patients also report an improved quality of life after successful TAVR.

Instead of implanting a replacement heart valve during open heart surgery, TAVR involves collapsing a bovine heart valve mounted onto a stainless steel stent (the Edwards SAPIEN® valve, Edwards Life Sciences, Irving, CA [pictured here]) tightly over a balloon, inserting it via a catheter into the ileofemoral artery and advancing it to the aortic valve. The procedure is performed twice: on the first pass, the balloon is expanded to open up the stenosis and on the second pass the Edward SAPIEN valve is deployed.

The interdisciplinary HVC at MUSC was specifically created to leverage these new types of valve technologies that dramatically alter a patient’s treatment options. The multidisciplinary capabilities of the Heart Valve Center, including its depth of expertise both in interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery as well as cardiac imaging and anesthesia, were key to its being approved by Edwards, the manufacturer of the Edwards SAPIEN® heart valve, to implant the device. These devices can only be implanted once both an interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon have assessed the patient (in part by preprocedural imaging) and have agreed that he or she has a greater than 50% chance of dying or experiencing long-term complications from surgical aortic valve repair.

Possible complications of TAVR include stroke (some plaque may be dislodged as the valve is advanced through the vessel) and vascular damage, both of which can be life-threatening. Careful patient screening (ie, to ensure that the patient’s vessels are of sufficient size to allow the device to be implanted via a catheter) should help to minimize those risks.     

TAVR is most appropriate in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not suitable candidates for surgery and who would stand to gain considerable quality of life as a result of the procedure. It offers a treatment option, increased survival, and increased quality of life to a large pool of patients who would otherwise go untreated. For a referral to the TAVR program, contact MEDULINE at 1-800-922-5250 or 843-792-2200 and ask to be connected to Daniel H. Steinberg, M.D., the primary interventional cardiologist at the HVC involved in the TAVR program, or Suzanne Richardson, RN, the TAVR program coordinator.

¹  Leon MB, Smith Cr, Mack M, et al; for the PARTNER Trial Investigators. Transcatheter aortic-valve implantation for aortic stenosis in patients who cannot undergo surgery. N Engl J Med. 2010;363:1597-1607.

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), the leading organization representing hospitalists, recently inducted Patrick Cawley, M.D, MUSC's Executive Medical Director as a Master in Hospital Medicine.  

The Master in Hospital Medicine designation is the highest honor awarded by SHM and is by nomination only, based on the individual’s contribution to the hospital medicine specialty and his or her commitment to excellence in fields such as clinical care, healthcare initiatives, research, writing and publication, and administrative positions.

Please join Dr. Lee Saunders from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 from 3:00-4:00 pm EST for the presentation of the webcast, “Health Care Access after Spinal Cord Injury.” Dr. Saunders holds the rank of Research Assistant Professor in the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina, and is part of the Longevity after Injury Research Team (http://www.musc.edu/chp/sciorg).  She is the Co-Director on the “Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Secondary Conditions in Individuals with SCI” (RRTC grant) and Co-Investigator on the “Center on Health Outcomes Research and Capacity Building for Underserved Populations with SCI and TBI (DRRP grant).”

Date: May 29 ,2012

Time:  3:00 PM EST

Log in a few minutes before 3pm on May 29, 2012 to participate at:  http://www.ccitonline.org/Accordent/musc/052912

The purpose of the upcoming webcast presentation is to:

1.       Describe health care access after spinal cord injury.

2.       Assess secondary health conditions as a function of access to health care after spinal cord injury.

3.       Identify the extent to which black persons with spinal cord injury have equal access to health care compared to black persons in the general population.

An article appearing in the April 4, 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, coauthored by Dr. Etta D. Pisano, M.D., Professor of Radiology and Dean of the College of Medicine at MUSC, reported better detection rates for early, node-negative, invasive breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue and at least one other risk factor when annual mammography was supplemented with ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is the first study to show that the increased detection of early invasive breast cancer seen with ultrasound persists after the initial screen, providing evidence of its usefulness as a supplemental screen to annual mammography.

Although detection rates were highest with MRI, it is expensive and not tolerated by some patients, making ultrasound the better choice in patients with intermediate risk or in high-risk patients who do not tolerate MRI. Both ultrasound and MRI screening are associated with increased false positives, potentially leading to unnecessary biopsies, but the rate of false positives was lower in women with a personal history of breast cancer, and it decreased with regular annual screening.

It is important for every woman to speak with her physician about which screening process is most appropriate given her own medical history and risk profile.

Peter Kalivas, PhD, professor and co-chair of the Department of Neurosciences, received the South Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research while attending the S.C. Academy of Science Annual Meeting on April 14. Kalivas was recognized for his scientific discoveries regarding drug addiction and serving as an academic leader and department chair in the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine for more than a decade. Kalivas’ work contributed to a significant rise in national stature as a leading medical research institution.

Peter is highly deserving of this award, and we are fortunate to have a scientist of his caliber focused on translating basic science discoveries into clinical interventions for drug addiction, which is a significant problem for South Carolina and the nation as a whole,” said MUSC College of Medicine Dean Etta Pisano, M.D. “In large part due to Dr. Kalivas’ leadership during the last decade, South Carolina now harbors one of the top-tier addiction and neuroscience research organizations in the country.”

Read more...

MUSC Children's Hospital was recently designated a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. We are the only hospital in the state to have received this designation.  

The April/May issue of Progress Notes, a bimonthly publication highlighting clinical and research innovations at MUSC, is now available online.

In the April/May issue, read about:

• The drug shortage crisis and MUSC’s response
• The telescopic lens, a new treatment for end-stage macular degeneration offered at Storm Eye Institute Video
• Slide tracheoplasty, an innovative treatment for children with congenital tracheal stenosis Video
• The recommended management of pediatric obesity CME
• Cancer drug discovery at MUSC

Write Kimberly McGhee, Managing Editor, with questions, comments or story ideas at mcgheek@musc.edu

MUSC is pleased to congratulate our Comprehensive Epilepsy Center team for receiving continued recognition by the National Association of Epilepsy Center in 2012 as a Level 4 epilepsy center.  MUSC is the only Level 4 center in South Carolina and continues to be a leader in developing and providing outstanding care for people with epilepsy.

Level 4 epilepsy centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy. Learn more about our Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and how to refer a patient.

MUSC welcomes, Minoo N. Kavarana, M.D. a Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

Learn more about Dr. Kavarana through MUSC Find a Doctor profile.

MUSC welcomes, Dr.George O. Waring, IV M.D. an Ophthalmologist.

Learn more about Dr. Waring through MUSC Find a Doctor profile.

   
   
MUSC welcomes, Nicholas P. Pietris, M.D. , a pediatric cardiologist.

Learn more about Dr. Pietris through MUSC Find a Doctor profile.

The MUSC Spine Center is pleased to host an educational conference for orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, pain management, chiropractors, physician assistants, residents, fellows, nurses and other healthcare providers interested in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders. 

The event is May 11 -12, 2012 at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.  Learn more and register online through MUSC's CME Office. 

The MUSC Epilepsy Boot Camp is a two-day intense, comprehensive epilepsy course for health care providers. The topics on day one will begin with essential facts about seizures, and will progress through seizure types, the impact of epilepsy, and special needs of particular patient groups. The first day will continue with a thorough introduction to state of the art diagnostic options. The second day will be a full review of current treatment options, pharmacologic treatment, neurostimulation and special diets for epilepsy. In the afternoon, more advanced topics such as epilepsy surgeries and functional brain-mapping will be reviewed. Breakout sessions will include Seizure first aid (the first responder), epilepsy genetics, nonepileptic events (pseudoseizures) and early intervention for refractory epilepsy.

Learn more and register today online today.

Each year the Neuroscience Institute hosts a research day consisting of lectures and poster presentations from labs all over the state.  The event includes a nationally recognized keynote speaker as well as six presentations from MUSC's own scientists and/or physicians.  The lectures provide the latest information on cutting-edge basic brain and behavioral science relating to the chosen theme.

This year's event is March 30, 2012 at the Seabrook Island Club in Seabrook, SC.

Learn more and register at the Neurocience Institute Web page.

One of the world’s leading authorities on tobacco policy, K. Michael Cummings, PhD, MPH, has joined the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina and will lead research on tobacco control, public policy, and smoking cessation within the Hollings Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control program.

 “Hollings is already doing important research on tobacco and tobacco cessation,” said Cummings, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. “With one-third of all cancer deaths linked to tobacco, South Carolina has a significant public health problem. My role will include building on and advancing all facets of the center’s tobacco research with the goals of changing health behaviors and redirecting public policy toward the same end.”

Cummings said his plans include establishing comprehensive smoking-cessation services available to residents statewide, and launching a large study using spiral CT scanning to screen heavy smokers and formerly-heavy smokers for lung cancer.

Read more about Dr. Cummings role at Hollings Cancer Center.

After an extensive review by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) trauma program has been verified as a Level 1 Trauma Center. This verification is the highest level any trauma program in the country can achieve. MUSC is the first hospital in South Carolina to achieve this rating.

"In fact, our Level 1 Trauma Program is the only one in the state to have received national trauma verification at any level," said Bruce Crookes, MD, MUSC associate professor and trauma medical director. "Achieving this recognition required total commitment from the entire hospital, and it means our patients can expect the highest level of care available at any time, day or night."

Read the MUSC Press Release

The MUSC Neurophysiology Lab recently received accreditation by American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM).  According to the AANEM this accreditation was achieved by demonstrating clinical excellence in EDX medicine to patients, referral sources and payers as well as a commitment to providing the highest quality health care.

The MUSC Neurophysiology Lab is the first laboratory in the state of South Carolina to receive this accreditation.  MUSC is also the only medical center in the United States with the complete combination of accredited labs in EMG, EEG, Intraoperative Monitoring, and Intracranial and Extracranial vascular imaging, in conjunction with a Level IV Epilepsy Center.