El Camino Hospital Feature Stories

Referral Line 800-216-5556 | Text Size:

El Camino Hospital Feature Stories

New Bronchial Thermoplasty Treatment for Severe Asthma

Bronchial thermoplasty is a treatment that can be used to address severe persistent asthma--asthma that is not well controlled despite the combined use of standard medicines such as inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. El Camino Hospital is one of the first 12 hospitals nationwide, and one of just two in the state, to offer bronchial thermoplasty.

Urology FAQ: Nine Need-to-Knows

Urologists David H. C. King, MD, and Edward Karpman, MD answer some of the most frequently asked questions about urology, including questions about vasectomy and vasectomy reversal, urinary infections, urinary incontinence and bladder control, and kidney and bladder stones, and urination problems.

MitraClip: A New, Less-Invasive Approach for Mitral Valve Regurgitation

For 93-year-old Evelyn, living with mitral valve regurgitation (MR), a heart condition affecting about four million Americans, made everyday activities challenging. Because of MR, she found it difficult to go about her normal life--taking care of her home, tending to her garden and spending time with friends--because a valve in her heart was not functioning like it should.

Think You Know What a Heart Attack Is? Think Again

Most folks today know that heart disease is America's leading cause of death for both men and women. But, chances are, if you were to ask someone on the street to list all the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, they probably couldn't do it. Just ask James Joye, MD, FACC, El Camino Hospital cardiologist and director of research and education for El Camino's Heart and Vascular Institute. Joye sees plenty of patients every year who, unfortunately, have had no idea that they were having a heart attack.

Lifenet System Cuts Heart Attack Treatment Time

The window of time from when a patient starts experiencing heart attack symptoms to the moment he receives treatment has always been a critical period. In the hospital industry, it’s known as “door to balloon” time, as balloon angioplasty (along with stenting) is one of the most common treatments for heart attack.Cardiologists have long known that shaving off even minutes of that time can make a difference in the outcome of a patient. That’s why El Camino Hospital is excited about the launch of Lifenet, a new electrocardiogram (ECG) transmission and heart attack alert system from Medtronic, Inc.

Why Women With Breast Cancer Are Choosing Brachytherapy, the New Five-Day Radiation Treatment

Nancie, 69, was recently diagnosed with an early-stage breast cancer known as DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). Because her cancer was confined to one breast and hadn’t spread to other parts of her body, Nancie had many treatment options available to her. After consulting with her physician, Nancie chose to have a lumpectomy (partial breast removal) followed by a new form of radiation therapy known as “brachytherapy.”

Frequently Asked Questions About Erectile Dysfunction

One in five or roughly 30 million men in the United States suffers from some degree of erectile dysfunction. The incidence is increasing not only here in America but also throughout the world. Here, Dr. Edward Karpman answers some commonly asked questions.

Doctors Perform Unprecedented Surgery on Woman with Severe Endometriosis

Endometriosis, a condition caused by the abnormal growth of the endometrial lining of the uterus, can be an incredibly challenging disease to treat. It can easily spread, so that it affects not only the uterus, but also other organs in the body. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to Katherine, a 36-year-old woman from Portland, Oregon.

Cardiac Surgeons Bring Robotics Online

Surgeons at El Camino Hospital are gearing up to perform a variety of heart operations using the da Vinci robotic surgery system. The da Vinci system, which allows the surgeon to visualize the body cavity in 3D while controlling finely tuned instruments from a workstation, has already been used to perform prostatectomies, thoracic surgeries, and other procedures at the hospital.

Urinary Incontinence Isn’t Something You Have to Live With

"When I was in residency, one of my professors told me that 50 percent of women will develop incontinence at some point in their lifetime," recalls Dr. Sari Levine, an El Camino Hospital urologist who recently spoke on camera in an educational patient video on urinary incontinence. Today there are many options for treating incontinence, both medical and surgical.