In the News

Specialist recognized 20 years later for first endovascular technique
February 1, 2013

Dr. Claudio SchonholzWe congratulate Dr. Claudio Schönholz on this recognition of his work! From MUSC's Catalyst newspaper:

The first endovascular treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR) in North America was celebrated during the 39th annual VEITH symposium, a conference supporting vascular surgeons and other specialists recognizing new developments in clinical practice and research. The procedure was performed Nov. 23, 1992. Schönholz was joined by the procedure team of Juan Parodi, M.D., Frank J. Veith, M.D., Michael L. Marin, M.D., and Jacob Cynamon, M.D.

The story of how this technique was developed and adopted in the U.S. is a testament to the forward thinking and collaborative investigators who sought to expand the treatment options available to their patients. Read the whole story here.

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 1st EVAR Procedure
November 2012

1st EVAR
                procedureDr. Claudio Schonholz is seen here, 2nd from left in front, participating in the first EVAR procedure in 1992.

On November 23, 1992 Dr. Claudio Schonholz along with other luminaries in the field of Vascular Surgery and Interventional Radiology such as Dr. Juan Parodi, Dr. Frank Veith, Dr. Michael Marin and Dr. Jacob Cynamon, participated in the first endovascular treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at Montefiore Hospital in New York.  The 20th anniversary of this pioneering moment was celebrated by specialty physicians from around the country and the world at the recent VEITH Symposium in New York in November. We congratulate Dr. Schonholz and his colleagues for this milestone!



Technique Treats Central Venous Occlusion in Dialysis PatientsDr.
                    Marcelo Guimaraes
Published in Renal & Urology News at http://www.renalandurologynews.com/


March 29, 2012 A radiofrequency (RF) wire technique appears to be a safe alternative for managing benign chronic central venous occlusions when conventional techniques have failed, according to findings presented at the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology.  "We have been the pioneers on this," stated study investigator Marcelo Guimaraes, MD, Associate Professor of Vascular and Interventional Radiolgy at the Medical Unviersity o fSouth Carolina in Charleston.  "We have been doing this now for four years and probably this is the largest experience in the world with this procedure.  We only treat symptomatic patients or patients who are on dialysis and the AV [arteriovenous] graft or fistula is showing malfunction."  Read the entire article.


Dr.
                  Claudio Schonholz
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) - Andrew's Story

When Andrew Chambers began to feel excruciating pain, he had no idea that a cataloupe sized abdominal aortic aneurysm was the cause. It had ruptured and was leaking. Emergency doctors in Myrtle Beach had him flown by helicopter to the MUSC Heart and Vascular Center where a team of vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists was assembled and waiting for his arrival. To hear his story and find out how MUSC's technology is helping change what's possible for patients with life-threatening issues like AAA, click on the photo above. Watch the video.




Next-generation EVAR devices hold promise
Published in Vascular News at http://www.cxvascular.com

Vascular NewsJanuary 19, 2012  The Tuesday morning session "Extreme EVAR and TEVAR: Exploring the limits of endovascular technology" was full of “great cutting-edge stuff,” said course director Shaun Samuels. “It is where we would all like to be in a few years.”

Claudio J Schonholz, began the session with a discussion of chimneys, snorkels and periscopes. These techniques are an alternative to stent grafts with fenestrations or branches, and preserve blood flow to side branches in the sealing zones of aortic stent grafts.“ They were developed by the same people that pioneered fenestration and branch grafting technology,” Schonholz said.

Read the entire article.  Type in EVAR devices hold promise in search field when you get to website if the link doesn't take you directly to the article.


Interventional radiology director passes away June 12
Published in the Catalyst   June 17, 2011

Dr. Renan UflackerRenan P. Uflacker, M.D., 62, professor of medicine and director of the Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, died on June 12. 

A physician, teacher and researcher, Uflacker practiced vascular and interventional radiology medicine for 34 years. He was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1949 and finished medical school and his residency at the University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and completed his fellowship training in interventional radiology in Oslo, Norway and Pittsburgh, Pa.

He did extensive work in peripheral vascular diseases and gastrointestinal diseases before completing his Master of Science degree in medicine-gastroenterology.He joined MUSC as a vascular radiologist and director of Vascular and Interventional Radiology in 1993, transforming the division into a major national center for interventional radiology. Uflacker did pioneering work in the areas of liver disease, portal hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, aneurysms and interventional oncology. In research, he was the owner of multiple patents for innovative medical devices.  Read the entire article.


Dr. Guimaraes and patient Gail KempNew outpatient VIR clinic offers convenience
Published in the Catalyst   April 8, 2011
by Cindy Abole, Public Relations

Pictured: VIR clinic physician Dr. Marcelo Guimaraes checks the lungs of patient Gail Kemp.

A month ago, Lisa Miles struggled to do simple chores around her country home in Cordova, just miles outside of Orangeburg. Years earlier when Miles underwent a successful double bypass heart surgery at MUSC she entrusted the physicians and staff for her specialized care. Recently, Miles returned to MUSC to help manage other medical complications and was guided to the care of physicians at Ashley River Tower's new Vascular Interventional Radiology (VIR) outpatient clinic. 

The VIR clinic was established to provide quality comprehensive medical care and expertise in a visible and accessible location for patients. The weekly clinic, located in the same first-floor clinical area shared by cardiology, vascular and gastrointestinal surgery, opened its doors last November. Since 1993, the division established themselves by performing about 1,300 minimally-invasive procedures. Today, thanks to advances in technology and patient outcomes, that number has almost quadrupled to more than 7,500 specialty procedures in 2009.   Read the entire article.


MUSC One of First in Nation to Implant New Stent System in Artery
Released by MUSC and published on Charleston Life Sciences website

CHARLESTON, SC (March 15, 2011) - The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) became one of the first centers nationwide to implant the MISAGO(tm) Self-expanding Stent System as part of the Occlusive/Stenotic Peripheral artery REvascularization StudY (OSPREY) in the U.S., which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the MISAGO(tm) Peripheral Self-expanding Stent System for use in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the legs and feet.  Read the entire article.


First successful cases of patients treated using Gore C3 delivery system
Published in Vascular News at http://www.cxvascular.com

Vascular News
Friday, 14 Jan 2011     Gore reported the first clinical uses of the Gore C3 delivery system to deploy the Gore Excluder AAA endoprosthesis as a minimally invasive treatment for patients suffering from an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The device received approval from the FDA at the beginning of January 2011. The first procedures were successfully performed by vascular surgeons and interventionalists at medical centers around the USA few days later after its approval. This new technology allows physicians to position the device to the specific anatomy of each individual patient.

Read the entire article.  Type in Gore C3 delivery system in search field when you get to website.



Flow reversal or filter devices: Experts debate the merits of two approaches in carotid stenting
Published in heartwire at www.theheart.org
by Michael O'Riordan

heartorg
Miami Beach, FL - Filters or flow reversal, that was the question, posed before two experts speaking on cerebral protection during carotid stenting procedures, a debate that that took place today at the International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET) 2011 meeting in Miami Beach, FL.

Drs Claudio Schonholz (Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston) and Nelson "Nick" Hopkins(State University of New York, Buffalo) argued for flow-reversal/flow-exclusive devices and filtration systems, respectively, with Schonholz making the argument that filters capture only a fraction of the embolized particles that break off during the stenting procedure.

Read the entire article.


Monica
                Mumme, Hedy Fagan and Dr. Renan Uflacker.
Islet cell transplant offers promising lifeline
Published in the Catalyst, February 4, 2011
by Dawn Brazell
Public Relations

MUSC holds the distinction of being the second busiest autologous islet cell transplant center in the country, behind the University of Minnesota, which started doing the procedure in the 1970s. MUSC, the only place in the state to offer the procedure, treated its first patient March 2009, and performs about 25 cases a year to treat chronic pancreatitis.


Read the entire article or watch a video about the procedure.

Pictured: Monica Mumme, Hedy Fagan and Dr. Renan Uflacker.


Legs for Life: Another Successful Year!

Pictured: Tom Leuck, Radiology resident Dr. Emily Zerwas and Dr. Renan Uflacker discuss results during the Legs for Life event.

On Saturday, October 3, 2009 the Heart and Vascular Center at the Ashley River Tower hosted the Legs for Life event.  Legs for Life is an annual event wherein members of the community are invited to come in for a free screening and evaluation to address concerns about peripheral vascular disease (PVD), including lower extremity arterial occlusions, carotid artery stenosis, abdominal aorta aneurysms and varicose veins.   Patients first answered an initial questionnaire searching for risk factors, symptoms, and family history of PVD.  All the patients had their ankle-brachial index pressure measured, which is a quick and inexpensive screening method for spotting PVD. If the results of this indicated a need to do so, patients also had carotid and abdominal aorta Doppler ultrasound, with image screening for carotid stenosis (stroke prevention) and for abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA).

Following this stage, patients with positive results were seen on an individual basis by the physicians to discuss the patients’ case in detail. Dr. Guimarães pointed out that during this entire process, “Orientation for risk factors management and annual revision with a primary care doctor were among the several things that we tried to target during the screening. The patients with indication for further evaluation (or a positive screening) will have their primary care physician contacted in order to discuss the referral of these patients to MUSC for a more detailed investigation and treatment, if indicated”.

Natalie Ankney, manager of the Ashley River Tower Heart and Vascular Center, pointed out that Legs for Life is one of the most successful outreach events.  “Registration appointment times are always filled way before the event, and we often have people walk in hoping to be seen.  It’s a major undertaking requiring assistance from numerous staff members, MDs and sonographers.”  She added, “Mary Williams has been leading the effort for years and does an exceptional job coordinating everything.”

During this year’s Legs for Life, 107 patients had normal results, 21 patients had abnormal results and there were 11 referrals for MUSC.  Thank you to everyone involved in this very successful Legs for Life!


 
Members
                  of Radiology Staff who ran in the race.

MUSC Wellness Run & Walk

On September 19, the Wellness Center held their annual 2 mile long race, and several members of the Radiology staff were at the MUSC Harper Student Wellness Center to represent the department: Monica Mumme, RN, Dr. J. Bayne Selby, Jr., Dr. Claudio Schönholz, John Furtek, RT, Amy Johnson, RN, Brooke Bently, RN and Chris Erikson, Radiology Resident.  The sons of both Dr. Schönholz and Monica Mumme also participated.

Dr. J. Bayne Selby, Jr. won first place in his age group with a time of 13:30, and Monica Mumme won first place in her age group with a time of 17:16.  Our congratulations to them and to all of the Radiology staff who participated!

Pictured, from left to right: Monica Mumme, Dr. Bayne Selby, Marcus Schönholz, John Furtek, Dr. Claudio Schönholz, Brooke Bently, Aaron McConnell, Amy Johnson and Chris Erikson.

(Reprinted from MUSC Radiology Department Newsletter, October 2009.)




New MUSC cellular therapy center expands, improves transplants
Published in the Catalyst, March 27, 2009
Dr. Renan Uflacker

A new an
d unique facility at MUSC uses a patient's own cells to perform life-saving procedures while erasing the problem of rejection and reducing the need for full organ transplants.

The Center for Cellular Therapy (CCT) is the first center in South Carolina to perform an autologous islet cell transplant for chronic pancreatitis. The first patient, a woman from Aiken, underwent a CCT procedure  on March 9 that enabled insulin-producing islet cells to be removed from her diseased pancreas and transplanted into her liver.

Dr. Renan P. Uflacker prepares to reintroduce the patient’s own insulin-producing cells into her liver using a catheter and flouroscopy via the portal vein.



Radiology Docs make great showing at MUSC 2 Mile Wellness Run & Walk

Dr. Bayne Selby, Dr. Marcelo Guimaraes
                            and Dr. Claudio Schonholz.The MUSC 2 Mile Wellness Run/Walk was held on the morning of September 20.  The weather was perfect for this event, which marked the 20th anniversary of the MUSC Harper Student Wellness Center.

Four physicians from the Radiology Department ran in the race: D
r. Nancy Curry, Dr. Marcelo Guimarães, Dr. Claudio Schönholz, and Dr. Bayne Selby. 

Dr. Curry placed first in her age group with a time of 15:50, even though she was feeling a bit “under the weather” just before the race!  Both Dr. Guimaraes (running time: 14:10) and Dr. Selby (running time: 13:26) placed second in their age groups.

Congratulations to them and to everyone who participated. (Reprinted from MUSC Radiology Department Newsletter, October 2008.)


Listen to the new podcast interviews with Dr. Renan Uflacker on Radiologic Treatments for Primary and Metastatic Liver Cancer and Use of Stents to Repair Carotid Artery Blockage.

Listen to the podcast interviews with Dr. Bayne Selby on Interventional Radiology, Fibroids and Uterine Artery Embolization, and Varicose Veins.

Also listen to a patient of Dr. Uflacker's talk about receiving chemoembolization and radio frequency ablations to treat his liver cancer.

Fibroid patients need personalized care
Catalyst, March 2, 2007
Radiology and OB/GYN working together to solve fibroid issues for some patients.

MUSC First in State to Monitor 'Silent Killer'
Catalyst, June 23, 2006
MUSC has become the first medical facility in South Carolina to use a new microchip sensor device in patients suffering from an often deadly arterial condition, aortic abdominal aneurysms.

Innovative Treatments for Liver Cancer Available
Catalyst, March 17, 2006
MUSC doctors are the first in the state to provide two innovative treatments for liver cancer that cannot be treated surgically.

State of the Art for the State of Your Heart
As one of the leading facilities in the nation for cardiovascular care, MUSC Heart & Vascular Center deploys some of the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in existence, including state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratories, and the only integrated cardiac imaging and interventional radiology center in the state.

Scanner provides non-invasive diagnosis
Catalyst, December 10, 2005
A new, advanced CT scanner at MUSC is enabling some patients to avoid an invasive cardiac catheterization to diagnose blockage of the coronary artery.