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Wellstar’s Comprehensive Aortic Program has identified thousands of hidden aneurysms in the past two years. The goal of the program is to help people before their conditions become life-threatening.

Aortic aneurysms are bulges in the body’s largest blood vessel. They can burst and cause severe damage or death if they become too big. Unfortunately, most people never know they have one because they are typically asymptomatic until they rupture.

However, the aortic experts at Wellstar found a way to help people before they have an emergency.

“When patients have CT scans at Wellstar for other reasons, we use artificial intelligence (AI) to sift through them and find images of someone who may have aneurysm,” said Wellstar Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. James Ryan Burke. “That allows us to proactively contact them and bring them in if appropriate for evaluation to discuss that diagnosis.”

Since the program launch in July 2022, more than 4,700 people with aneurysms have been placed under surveillance—a protocol to monitor people who have a risk. Surveillance allows people to avoid undergoing unnecessary surgery but to know when the aneurysm grows larger and becomes a greater concern.

For people who had large, potentially life-threatening aneurysms, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons performed more than 700 advanced procedures at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center since the program began.

“These are major cardiac operations only performed in centers that offer complex aortic surgery,” Dr. Burke said. “The outcomes are best when done in experienced centers that do a high volume of procedures, like Wellstar Kennestone.”

Patient-centered aortic care

“This program is very patient-oriented. We have an excellent team of dedicated physicians at Wellstar to accomplish our mission and I think it’s very beneficial for both patients and physicians,” said Dr. Michael Corey of Vascular Surgical Associates.

The aortic program at Wellstar provides a higher level of aortic care than a patient would typically find in a local hospital. What makes the program unique is:

• The multispecialty team of aortic experts working together
• The cutting-edge AI technology used to identify patients who are unaware they have an aneurysm
• A high-tech hybrid operating room (OR) for open or minimally invasive procedures
• The latest surgical techniques and technology
• A high volume of procedures performed

“The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It runs from the heart, through the chest and abdomen and down to the legs,” said Dr. Burke. “When you have a disease process involving the aorta, it requires multiple specialties.”

Wellstar’s specialized aortic team includes cardiovascular surgeons, vascular surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

There is also a cardiac hybrid OR that brings a catheterization lab and surgery suite together in one space, making aortic aneurysm treatment more efficient and encouraging collaboration between our expert providers.

“The hybrid OR is a state-of-the-art, innovative, open operating room where patients can receive complex aortic reconstructions—procedures that have open surgery components to them—as well as endovascular (or minimally invasive) aortic reconstructions. This all can take place in one nice operating room,” Dr. Corey said.

The aortic program is part of a larger heart care program at Wellstar, based at Wellstar Kennestone, the first in Georgia and the fourth in the nation to receive Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center Certification by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association. This is the highest certification in cardiovascular care.

Learn more or schedule an appointment with an aortic disease specialist.

It seems "defeat" just isn't in John Cashen's vocabulary. A survivor in more ways than one, John has overcome not only a catastrophic natural disaster, but also fought cancer with unyielding resilience.

In 2005, as flood waters from Hurricane Katrina rose and threatened his New Orleans home, John took an axe to his attic's ceiling, climbed atop his roof and tied himself to his chimney so he wouldn't be swept away. Days later, no help had arrived, so John untied himself and swam to an overpass where he was rescued by a helicopter. He joined the rest of his family in Georgia.

Since then, John has become a proud citizen of LaGrange. A master of everything Mardi Gras, John runs a local krewe and is a natural at building parade floats from the foundation up. But when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, he summoned his fighting spirit, squared his shoulders, and faced his cancer journey head on.

In a fiery demonstration on Wednesday, nurses from the Joseph M. Still Burn Centers at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center joined Cobb County firefighters to showcase why it’s essential to be vigilant during the holidays to prevent burn wounds and fires.

News cameras began recording as firefighters in full gear used a long rod to lower a frozen turkey into a fryer full of overheated vegetable oil. Immediately, a violent splash of hot oil spilled from the fryer and burst into a flash flame that extended 5 feet outward and roughly 20 feet high. It would have been a disaster if that scenario had played out during a family’s Thanksgiving feast.

At the demonstration, team members from the Burn Center at Wellstar Cobb told reporters that cooking mishaps are among the most frequent causes of the burn injuries they treat and shared safety tips that can help keep the holidays merry and bright.

“Please be extremely careful while deep frying your turkeys this holiday season,” said nurse Imani Hence of Wellstar Cobb’s inpatient burn unit. “Everyone loves fried turkey, but we have seen a lot of instances where turkey fryers have tipped over, causing significant burn injuries from the grease.”

Burn Program Manager Nadine Lynch said it’s crucial to maintain a “kid-free zone” around cooking areas, whether indoors or outdoors.

“It’s wonderful when the whole family pitches in, but make sure to keep hot liquids away from table edges,” she said. “Use potholders when cooking. Unplug cooking sources when no longer needed and use long-handled tools for grilling and frying.”

Emily Black, clinical coordinator at Wellstar Cobb’s burn, wound and hyperbaric outpatient clinic, said that when kids are out of school during the holidays, more accidents happen.

“We see a great many hand burns from children touching hot stoves, oven doors and glass screens on fireplaces,” Black said. “With kids home and cooking for themselves, we see an even greater number of hot water, tea and ramen noodle burns as well.”

What to do if someone suffers a burn: 

• Immediately wash the wound with cool (not cold) running water.
• Place a clean, dry cloth or gauze over the burn.
• Seek medical attention for deep burns or burns that cover more than 5% of the body.

What not to do if someone suffers a burn:

• Do not ignore the burn.
• Do not treat a burn like a regular wound.
• Do not use toothpaste, mayonnaise, butter, etc., to treat the wound.

The sooner you’re seen at a burn center, Lynch said, the better your outcome.

Turkey fryer fire safety:

• Turkey fryers can tip over easily, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area. Make sure your fryer is on a sturdy, level surface and is at least 10 feet from your home and not under roof eaves. Do not use it in, on or under a garage, deck, breezeway, porch, barn or any structure that can catch fire.
• Cooking oil is combustible. Its vapors can ignite if heated beyond its cooking temperature (375 degrees Fahrenheit). If your turkey fryer does not have a thermostat, use a kitchen thermometer that attaches to the side of the pot. This will help you monitor the oil's temperature.
• An overfilled cooking pot will cause oil to spill when you put the turkey in it. Before turning on the fryer, test how much oil you’ll need by placing the turkey in the pot and adding water. Measure how much water it takes to fill the pot to a safe level, and then use that as a guide for filling the pot with oil.
• A partially frozen turkey will cause hot oil to splatter when you place it in the pot, leading to burns. Make sure your turkey is fully thawed before you fry it.

What to do if a grease fire occurs:

• Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If it’s a stovetop fire, cut off the source of the fire and cover the pan, if possible, to smother the flames.
• If an indoor fire spreads, get out and stay out!
• Once you’re safely outside, call 911.