‘Heart-to-heart’ conversations at New England hospital add new dimension to cutting-edge cardiology care

The team at Catholic Medical Center’s New England Heart & Vascular Institute in Manchester, N.H., uses state-of-the-art technology and performs cutting-edge procedures that help improve patients’ lives. The CMS team also makes time to connect with patients and community members every February, which is American Heart Month, in part through free “heart-to-heart” community conversations with cardiology experts.

CMC is already pushing the boundaries of cardiac care in the region; in January 2024, a CMC team successfully implemented the world’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker system, which treats people with abnormal or slow heart rhythms. This Abbott pacemaker “offers a new, minimally invasive option to treat the nearly 80% of people who require pacing in two chambers of the heart (both the right atrium and left ventricle),” according to CMC. The procedure to implant a leadless device is less invasive and eliminates the need for cardiac leads, thus reducing a patient’s exposure to potential lead- and infection-related complications and shortening their recovery period afterward.

CMS’s heart and vascular teams frequently are on the front lines of innovation. For example, CMC was the first New England hospital to implant the WATCHMAN and WATCHMAN FLX, devices that dramatically reduce the risk of stroke in patients who have non-valvular atrial fibrillation. In 2022, CMC physicians implanted the 600th WATCHMAN device since the program started in 2015.

Just as innovative as its treatment options are CMC’s community outreach efforts. The health system’s “heart-to-heart” conversations provide a venue for CMC cardiologists to discuss what it means to live heart-healthy and share information on specific heart conditions, such as A-Fib and heart failure. Participants can ask questions and enjoy refreshments and raffle prizes.

Read more about heart and vascular care at CMC.