January 29, 2007,  Wauwatosa, Wisconsin—It may sound like science fiction, but breakthroughs in wireless cardiac monitoring are giving doctors at The Wisconsin Heart Hospital a clearer picture of their patient’s heart health.
 
For Tom Hesiak, 68, a retired high school coach and teacher, recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia had been a constant worry; this potentially lethal condition disrupts the normal heartbeat and may cause the heart to become unable to pump adequate blood through the body. Now, with the help of The LATITUDE ® Patient Monitoring System, Tom’s doctors regularly check vital information about his heart function via the Internet. That allows them to discover, understand and treat problems sooner and more effectively.

The system is guided by a small piece of equipment that resembles the base of a cordless phone and is small enough to sit on a nightstand. Using wireless technology, it collects data from Tom’s implanted pacemaker/defibrillator and transmits it over a standard phone line to a secure website that can be accessed by his cardiologist, Dr. Peter Chapman.

Tom’s machine is programmed to capture wireless readings each day at 4 a.m., while he is still asleep, and alerts Dr. Chapman to any irregularities. If an event occurs, Tom can also send information to his doctor immediately.

“Keeping tabs on this type of data allows physicians to respond quickly to problems and saves patients trips to their doctor’s office,” says Dr. Chapman. “The data collected provides a much more detailed picture of a patient’s health status and notifies doctors as soon as problems occur. Updates about weight and blood pressure can also be included in the remote monitoring, and are vital to patients with many types of heart issues and diabetes.”

LATITUDE ® also interfaces with a special implanted heart failure device that automatically shocks Tom’s heart back into normal rhythm when necessary. Over the past year, the device delivered three shocks—and registered a number of “aborted” shocks, indicating that Tom’s heart rate was rising to a dangerous level.

While the technology is amazing, Tom, himself, is a modern medical miracle. Surviving a serious heart attack at age 38, the former gymnast and runner has also faced several serious bouts with cancer, heart rhythm problems, open-heart surgery, and surgery to remove his thyroid. In 1982, he went into sudden cardiac arrest while playing racquetball at an athletic club. Fortunately, a doctor was on the premises and delivered lifesaving CPR until paramedics arrived.

“I really shouldn’t be here, so every day is a bonus,” Tom says. “To me, life is great. Every day is a holiday. Every meal is a banquet.”

He says wireless home monitoring is one more tool to help him evaluate his health. It raises awareness, ensures quick response, and brings him a lot of peace of mind.
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About The Wisconsin Heart Hospital

The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, a member of  the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare family, was the vision of a group of cardiac, vascular and specialty physicians who wanted to treat broad-based diseases that affect cardiac and vascular systems.  They began with a unique premise – they wanted to help shape the future of cardiovascular care through locating innovative workflow, patient care, diagnostics and imaging technologies under one roof.

The only cardiovascular specialty hospital and first accredited chest pain center in the Milwaukee area, the 60-bed hospital was designed for the complexities of heart and vascular care. Its services include diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization and peripheral vascular procedures, electrophysiology, surgical services, diagnostic imaging, emergency department and wellness and preventive medicine programs.

As a result of its focus on patient service, TWHH has earned five national awards for patient perception of quality and service, and the top honor in the nation for inpatient cardiology/telemetry two years in a row.

For more information about The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, its breakthrough technology, award-winning care and outstanding outcomes, log on to TWHH.org or contact Mary McIntosh at 414-414-778-7810.