We are pleased to announce that Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals have been designated a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Hip and Knee Replacement.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the first hospital in Pennsylvania to offer an FDA-approved device that helps individuals with certain types of spinal cord injuries breathe on their own again.  Michael Weinstein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Jefferson, is among the first surgeons in the United States to implant the NeuRx DPS™ in patients with spinal cord injuries who lack voluntary control of their diaphragms.

The device provides electrical stimulation to muscle and nerves in the diaphragm. When the muscle is stimulated, the diaphragm contracts and creates a vacuum-like effect in the chest cavity that allows air to fill the upper and lower parts of the lungs. When this contraction eases, the air is expelled from the lungs – essentially the same as regular breathing.

"In the past, spinal cord injury patients were tethered to a respirator and did not have the freedom to taste foods, smell or breathe on their own," said Dr. Weinstein. "We are excited about being able to offer the benefits of this device at Jefferson and to offer new hope to patients living with spinal cord injury."

One in 25 American adults is morbidly obese – that is, roughly 100 pounds overweight or roughly 75 pounds overweight with other weight-related conditions, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and/or high cholesterol. Morbid obesity can have profound effects on quality of life. It is a significant cause of premature death and a major contributor to many other diseases and conditions, including stroke, reflux, arthritis, gallbladder disease, incontinence, polycystic ovarian syndrome and infertility.

Medical journals are now recognizing bariatric surgery as the only treatment which is truly effective at causing substantial weight loss in most patients. Bariatric surgery has evolved dramatically over the past several years, thanks to the development of a safe, fully laparoscopic (minimally invasive) approach to various procedures, as well as to the establishment of Centers of Excellence standards.

The Jefferson Balance and Hearing Center of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the first hospital in Philadelphia to offer the FDA-cleared Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment.  This therapy is proven to interact, interrupt and desensitize tinnitus by delivering a customized neural stimulus, embedded in clinically modified music.

Bariatric Surgery Education Seminar
The first Wednesday of each month.
September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2, 2009

6 - 8 pm

Information session about the laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedures.

Admission and parking are FREE.
Please call 215-955-0020 to register.

11th and Locust Streets
Dorrance Hamilton Building, 4th floor
Philadelphia, PA

Parking entrance is on 11th Street between Locust and Walnut Streets.

Bariatric Surgery Support Group
The first Thursday of every month.
September 3, October 1, November 5

6 - 7:30 pm

1100 Walnut Street
5th floor waiting room

Parking entrance is on 11th Street between Locust and Walnut Streets.

Sign up to attend a free Women's Health Source class this fall.

Topics Include:

• Smart Nutrition: Back to the Basics
• Are You Ready for the Flu Season?
• Ovarian Cancer: The Silent Killer
• Environmental Issues and Women’s Health
• Keeping Women Healthy
• The Spectrum of Weight: Healthful Living to Morbid Obesity
• The Medical Management Road to Weight Loss
• Speak Up: Promoting Patient Safety by Participating in Your Care
• Women’s Stress and Stress Relief
• Acupuncture for Women’s Health

All programs offered by the Women's Health Source take place at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut in the 2nd Floor Conference Area in Center City Philadelphia. Programs run from noon to 1 p.m. unless noted. Women's Health Source programs are offered at no cost to participants. Light food and refreshments will be available at each program. View the calendar and register.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals has again been ranked as the top hospital in Philadelphia for orthopaedics and rehabilitation medicine by U.S.News & World Report in their 2009 Best Hospitals survey. This ranking translates into the 17th best hospital in the nation for orthopaedic surgery and the 11th best in the U.S. for rehabilitation medicine. U.S. News & World Report this year also named Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals as among the best in the nation in four other specialties – cancer; ear nose & throat; gastrointestinal (digestive) disorders; and respiratory disorders. In addition, Wills Eye, which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, was ranked as third in the nation and the top medical center in Philadelphia for ophthalmology. Jefferson Hospitals’ President and CEO Thomas J. Lewis said Jefferson and its staff are again honored to be among a select number of medical centers of excellence in the nation. “Being recognized in this way by U.S. News & World Report reflects the extraordinary efforts of all the talented doctors, nurses, and staff, who are dedicated to providing exceptional patient care here at Jefferson every day,” said Mr. Lewis. Redefining how healthcare is delivered is at the core of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals’ commitment to its patients, its community and the nation.

While chemotherapy and radiation are valuable treatments, surgery is especially crucial to cure lung cancer. And, VATS lobectomy, while every bit as effective as traditional, open thoracotomy in curing the disease, is also a safer and less traumatic alternative for patients, resulting in less pain, shorter hospital stays and faster recoveries. The entire procedure takes only two hours. Patients can then resume and enjoy the normal activities they did prior to the onset of lung cancer.

Given the sophisticated nature of the procedure, when patients are looking for a doctor, it is important that they look for experience. Benny Weksler, MD , a board-certified thoracic surgeon has successfully performed this procedure on more than 120 patients in the past two years.

VATS lobectomy is the centerpiece of the multidisciplinary program for lung cancer available at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. Dr. Weksler, in collaboration with radiation oncologist Maria Werner Wasik, MD , medical oncologist Rita Axelrod, MD , and pulmonary specialist Gregory Kane, MD are dedicated to keeping patients and their loved ones informed and at ease as they are guided with courtesy and compassion through a comprehensive critical pathway of quality care.

For more information on minimally invasive surgery visit our web site . To schedule an appointment call 1-800-JEFF-NOW or fill out our online appointment request form.

Jefferson is the first hospital in Philadelphia to offer this innovative procedure

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the first in the city to offer robotic esophageal mobilization surgery, using the da Vinci® Robotic System. This procedure is ideal for esophageal cancer patients who require surgery to remove all or part of their esophagus. 

It is a viable alternative to more invasive “open” surgery and will allow the patient to recover faster and leave the hospital sooner. It improves on conventional minimally invasive techniques by decreasing the number of incisions required to perform the procedure.

“It’s exciting to be able to offer this type of procedure to the patients of the Delaware Valley and beyond,” says Benny Weksler, MD, assistant professor, Department of Surgery. “Utilizing this technology not only reduces healing time and hospital stay, it also is significantly less painful, causes less scarring, reduces blood loss and in many cases, provides better clinical outcomes.”

Other surgeons who perform the procedure are Karen A. Chojnacki, MD, and Ernest L. (Gary) Rosato, MD.

A Better Alternative
During the procedure, the Jefferson surgeon uses the da Vinci system as part of the minimally invasive esophagectomy (the surgical removal of all or part of the esophagus). Robotic arms, with tiny cameras, are placed in the patient at the right chest. Four small incisions are used. 

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