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How Meridian Health is bringing innovative Interventional Cardiology procedures to garden state residents

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos By Amessé Photography

As an Interventional Cardiologist who is board certified in that specialty as well as Cardiovascular Disease and Internal Medicine, Dr. Tommy Ng has touched thousands of lives during his 30-year career. Yet with every new case that presents itself in his Meridian Health headquarters, he says his passion for the field of medicine is reborn.

“In my specialty, I see many patients who are suffering from significant chest pain and can no longer manage simple daily activities,” Dr. Ng noted. “It’s my job to figure out what is causing that pain and fix the problem with the appropriate procedure. As physicians, each time we are able to relieve patient suffering and heal the heart, the experience is very rewarding.”

Dr. Ng, who realized he wanted to become a physician at a very young age, attended medical school in Hong Kong before traveling to New York to complete his residency at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn. During his fellowship at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Brown Mills, NJ, he developed a strong interest in the field of Interventional Cardiology.

“At the time, there were a lot of new developments in interventional procedures and for me it was a very exciting and interesting field,” Ng said. “And that was 20-something years ago, so you can imagine how the procedures and the field itself has grown and evolved since.”

Today, as a top cardiologist within the Meridian Health system, Ng makes use of lowrisk cardiac diagnostic capabilities at Southern Ocean Medical Center (a Manahawkin-based community hospital) and handles more complex cardiac procedures and conditions at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune (Meridian’s primary cardiac center).

He also recently added medical acupuncture to his medical resume and serves as medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Southern Ocean Medical Center.

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At Southern Ocean Medical Center, Ng works with staff to offer diagnostic cardiac catheterization, one of the most sophisticated tools available to diagnose heart disease. Topof- the-line digital imaging aids physicians there in making their diagnoses.

“We have very sophisticated digital imaging systems that aid in the performance of many interventional procedures,” Ng explained, describing digital technology that helps doctors to more effectively treat patients throughout the Meridian network. “Images have become far greater than they were many years ago, when films were difficult to store and easily lost. Now, with digital technology, we are able to easily access and store images for use throughout the entire Meridian system.

From a physician’s standpoint it just translates to better care.”

That’s just part of the way patient care is coordinated between Southern Ocean Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where cardiac surgery specialties include coronary artery bypass grafting, heart valve replacement and repair, endoscopic vein harvesting, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

“TAVR was developed at Meridian about two-and-a-half years ago,” Ng said. “And since then we have performed over 100 cases with great success.”

The procedure is the latest minimally invasive technology for patients with critical aortic stenois—a condition in which the aortic valve does not open fully. And the option is giving new hope to patients who have been previously determined inoperable or very high risk due to co-existing medical conditions.

“This treatment fixes a tight aortic valve for a certain patient population that was often restricted because of age or other risk categories which completely prohibited open heart surgery,” Ng said. “But this new procedure allows us to put the new valve in without cutting the chest open. It’s a very innovative treatment that is helping to save many, many lives.”

TAVR is performed in a cardiac operating room or hybrid catheterization lab under general anesthesia. By combining minimally invasive techniques with the latest catheter technologies, TAVR is less invasive than conventional surgery and is done while the heart remains pumping. A valve is simply inserted via a catheter through the groin and threaded up to the heart through the arteries, immediately improving the hemodynamics of the aortic valve.

And while doctors are working with these high-tech, innovative procedures—providing a less invasive technique and quicker recovery time—Dr. Ng explained that the standard risk factors of coronary artery disease still remain the same.

“Many risk factors are varied but predictable,” he said. “Systemic hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle – all can be controlled and changed through patient education and the help of physicians. Primary prevention is essential before a major event occurs. But some risk factors are genetic and cannot be changed. Still, no matter what your risk level may be, it is always wise to follow a good diet and exercise program.”

And watch for heart disease’s warning signs. According to Dr. Ng, signs and symptoms of a heart attack include recognized indicators like crushing chest pain behind the sternum and trouble breathing, but jaw, shoulder, or even gastric pain can also be a signal.

“Typical chest pain does not occur in every single patient,” he explained. “Even when you’re having a heart attack, you may not feel this sudden, rattling pain, so be sure to look for atypical bouts of indigestion and reflux. Something as slight as that can be a very early indicator that can help obtain a very early diagnosis and result in a more successful outcome.”

And for patients who are experiencing those types of symptoms, it is important to seek medical help right away.

“Time is muscle,” Ng said. “Meaning, every minute we lose more myocardial cells in the heart. And after 24 hours without oxygen to any part of the heart, there will be permanent damage.

If you see a doctor right away, an interventional procedure can be done to open up the artery. That’s why I am such a strong advocate for intervention within the first two hours of heart attack, because time is of the essence and damage can be reversed…even on some very severe blockages.”

And with time and medical advancement, interventional procedures will only flourish and grow in the future.

“Altogether, I have performed over 15,000 cardiac procedures in my career,” Ng concluded. “But with the advent of new technology, I’m sure that number will grow, and I’m looking forward to investigating new procedures in the future.”

Meridian Health
Southern Ocean Medical Center / 1140 Rt. 72 West, Manahawkin
Jersey Shore University Medical Center / 1945 Rt. 33, Neptune
meridianhealth.com