Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, announced today that it is the first hospital in San Gabriel Valley to offer Aquablation therapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Aquablation therapy is performed by the AquaBeam™ Robotic System, the first FDA-cleared, surgical robot utilizing automated tissue resection for the treatment of LUTS due to BPH. Aquablation therapy combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotics, and heat-free waterjet ablation for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue. Combining both cystoscopic visualization and ultrasound imaging, surgeons can create a personalized treatment plan tailored to each patient’s anatomy. Once the map is complete, the robotically controlled, waterjet ablates the prostate tissue, avoiding critical structures to preserve sexual function and continence. Proven in numerous clinical studies, Aquablation therapy offers predictable and reproducible outcomes, independent of prostate anatomy, prostate size, or surgeon experience.

“We are proud to be the first hospital in the San Gabriel Valley to offer a solution for men with BPH that provides significant, long-lasting symptom relief with lower risk to their sexual function and continence,” said Armen Dikranian, MD, medical director of robotic surgery, Huntington Health. “Aquablation therapy is the much anticipated next step to furthering our commitment to robotic surgery and men’s health.”

BPH, or an enlarged prostate, is a non-cancerous condition where the prostate has grown to be larger than normal. 1 in 2 men ages 51 to 60 have BPH, and the incidence increases every decade of life.

“BPH is one of the most common conditions affecting men’s health as they age,” said Ramin Khalili, MD, medical director of urology, Huntington Health. “It’s important that men talk to their physician and/or urologist if they are experiencing changes in urination, such as frequency, urgency, retention and incontinence.”

If left untreated, BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. Current BPH surgical treatments often force men to tradeoff between symptom relief and side effects, limiting patients to choose between either a high degree of symptom relief with high rates of irreversible complications such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculatory dysfunction, or a low degree of symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications.

For more information about this procedure and other surgical procedures as Huntington, visit: huntingtonhealth.org/surgery

For more information on Aquablation therapy, visit: aquablation.com

Huntington Health Trauma Expert says Preparation is the Key to a Safe Summer at the Pool

The school year is winding down, summer is around the corner and that means more children are splashing into swimming pools, whether in a backyard, at summer camp, or at recreation center pools. 

Along with the fun, though, are the very real dangers of drowning and other pool related injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children 1-4 years old die from drowning than any other cause of death.

The Cedars-Sinai Newsroom spoke with Amal Obaid-Schmid, MD, medical director of Trauma Services at Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, about how to keep the children in your care safe this summer.

What are the most important pool safety rules?

Any owner of a pool should first and foremost ensure that they have a fence at least four feet high around their pool.

If children or non-experienced swimmers will be in the pool, it’s very important to have adult supervision. I think asking another child to watch after their sibling, for example, is not adequate. You need a supervisor who’s an adult, who is not distracted with their cell phone, or a phone call inside the house, or a conversation with another adult, really taking that role very seriously. Not letting your eye off the child is huge because drowning can happen in an instant.

Have a variety of flotation devices in and around the pool, including a life jacket, but also floating noodles or a paddle board that a drowning person can grab onto to help them get out of the pool quickly.

Have a cell phone in the pool area so that you can call for help immediately. And adults involved in pool activities should learn basic CPR.

Describe the basic CPR method?

Place the person on their back and gently lift their chin and tilt their head back.

Pinch their nose and place your mouth tightly over their mouth and administer two short breaths. Then start chest compressions, placing one hand over the other and placing them over the patient’s breastbone and administering 30 compressions. Start again with the two breaths and compressions until the patient starts breathing.

Timing is crucial so call for help and start administering CPR as quickly as possible.

What other pool related injuries should parents watch out for?

At the Emergency Department, we see significant head injuries and spinal cord injuries that come from reckless diving, and this happens more among teenagers and young adults.

To prevent diving injuries, make sure pool-goers are only using existing diving boards that are designed to dive into deep water. We see catastrophic injuries from diving from unsafe places such as roofs or patios, or diving head-first into shallow water.

Many of these injuries are alcohol related. Alcohol and swimming don’t mix. Your risk of a drowning or a near-drowning event increases 37-fold when you are consuming alcohol while swimming.

What is “dry drowning?”

Dry drowning is when you’ve had a near-drowning event that resulted in water getting into your lungs and that stimulates what’s called laryngospasm. What that means is that your airway is basically closed off so you are not getting enough oxygen and this can occur from several hours to 24 hours after the event.

The signs may be subtle and can present as coughing, vomiting, not being able to talk, or just not appearing well. if this happens you need to go to the Emergency Department or call 911 right away. Although it is very rare, dry drowning can be fatal.

The key to a fun and safe pool experience is prevention. If you have the right safety equipment and proper supervision, you can prevent most pool related injuries and drownings.

Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, has announced John M. Corman, MD, will be joining the Huntington enterprise and its executive management team as Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer (CCO), effective May 1, 2023.  He will be working with the 1,015 physicians on medical staff to ensure Huntington remains the preferred place for care in the San Gabriel Valley.

“The search for this key position was filled with careful intent and collaboration with our medical staff leaders to find the right physician leader at this pivotal time in Huntington’s evolution,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, president and CEO, Huntington Health. “John is an exceptional fit for our organization, and I’m thrilled to welcome him to the Huntington team.”

Dr. Corman joins Huntington from Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, where he served as vice president and chief clinical officer.  In this role, he engaged with medical leadership to ensure continuity and stability at a time when the regional health care system was taking shape. He has a proven track record in quality oversight and outstanding collaboration with medical staff to support excellent care. Having built his career at Virgina Mason, Dr. Corman has held such posts over the years as senior medical director of peri-operative and procedural services, pathology, radiology, and anesthesiology. He was also medical director of the Virginia Mason Cancer Institute. Clinically, Dr. Corman has completed over 2000 DaVinci surgeries and has been recognized as a Seattle Top Doctor for 16 consecutive years. 

Dr. Corman received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College prior to graduating from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He completed his postgraduate training at UCLA, with an internship in general surgery and residency in urology.  In addition to his staff practice, Dr. Corman has been a clinical professor in various capacities at medical centers and schools throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than two decades. Dr. Corman also has vast administrative experience throughout his various appointments on boards, programs, departments, committees, councils, and educational courses. He has been widely published in such periodicals as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Urology.