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Profiles In Cardiology

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WEST MEMORIAL CARDIAC AND VASCULAR INSTITUTE

Bassel Ibrahim, MD Lance Cohen, MD

Dr. Bassel Ibrahim is an interventional cardiologist and Dr. Lance Cohen is a critical care specialist and medical
medical director of the cardiac catheterization lab at director at MCVI’s cardiovascular intensive care unit.
Memorial Hospital West. He is board-certified in internal Staffed 24 hours a day by a team of six cardiac doctors,
medicine, interventional cardiology, and cardiovascular dis- CVICU’s clinicians provide bedside care for patients await-
eases. Dr. Ibrahim’s patients are nearly always acutely ill and ing bypass and valve surgery, receiving heart transplants,
he often utilizes assist devices to help keep them alive. This and mechanical devices. In 2019, the unit handled nearly
includes the use of the tandem heart, which supplies the 700 cases and contributed to Memorial being ranked, for
body with blood while the patient’s heart is being fixed, and the 10th year in a row, in the top 3% nationally by the
also ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Cohen, who received
machine that enables doctors to bypass a patient’s compro- critical care training at Washington University’s Barnes-
mised heart (or lungs) that would otherwise not be able to sustain them. Jewish Hospital, is proud of the growth of MCVI, which delivered some of the region’s
“Helping the highest risk patients survive is what we in cardiology live for,” said Dr. best outcomes last year while performing 40% more heart transplants. Cases where
Ibrahim, who did his fellowship training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) was utilized also increased by 40%.
of New Jersey. “It’s tremendously rewarding mentally and very fulfilling. It really is the “We’re one of the few hospitals in South Florida to offer ECMO and the only one
best thing.” with a mobile unit,” said Dr. Cohen. “When other facilities exhaust all their options,
our transport team is there to stabilize and provide next level care for patients.”
Daniel Benhayon Lanes, MD
Sunay Shah, MD
Dr. Daniel Benhayon is a board-certified cardiac electro-
physiologist that specializes in complex cardiac arrhythmia. Dr. Sunay Shah is an interventional cardiologist that treats
He was part of the Memorial Cardiac & Vascular Institute patients with acute coronary syndromes, severe congestive
team that performed a historic ventricular tachycardia abla- heart failure, and other cardiac complications. “I appreciate
tion on a 14-month-old child that would have surely died the ability to have significant impact for my patients, often res-
without medical intervention. The procedure was written cuing them and immediately improving their quality of life,”
about in Heart Rhythm Journal, a prestigious publication said Dr. Shah, who completed residency and fellowship train-
within the electrophysiology community. ing at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. “At those moments, life-
“We’ve become the highest volume ablation center in South long bonds are created with patients and their families.”
Florida within five years and are the only ones in the region that treat both adults and Much of Dr. Shah’s time is focused on the highest risk patients.
children,” said Dr. Benhayon, who received fellowship training at the University of He is an expert at performing cardiac catheterization, using
Pennsylvania. “We’ve distinguished ourselves not just on the difficult cases where we’ve the radial artery in the wrist instead of the more common femoral artery, and also a go to
delivered positive outcomes, but also as a teaching and research site.” Dr. Benhayon says for those needing Impella implementation or to be placed on ECMO. He works within a
the clinical research trials (there are currently five being conducted) enable patients to strong interventional team of four doctors and an advanced cath lab that support patients
benefit from high-level technological advances that are not yet commercially available. at all levels of cardiac care.

MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL MEMORIAL TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE

Eli Friedman, MD Maria D. Avila, MD

There was a time Dr. Eli Friedman had to make a choice Dr. Maria D. Avila is a board-certified and fellowship trained
between pursuing a career in medicine or professional base- cardiologist specializing in advanced heart failure and trans-
ball. While cardiology became his ultimate playing field, that plantation. She provides care and treats patients with end-
doesn’t mean he’s left sports completely behind. stage heart failure that require advanced therapies, including
Dr. Friedman is now the medical director for Memorial’s mechanical circulatory support and/or heart transplantation.
Cardiology Sports Medicine program, where he provides spe- Patients with cardiomyopathies and pulmonary hypertension
cialized cardiac care for athletes at all skill levels. He takes a also receive specialized cardiac care from her. “I’m thankful to
holistic view of his patients and understands the desire to stay have the opportunity to create special bonds with my
active and performing at a high level, whether they have a patients,” said Dr. Avila. “Everything they go through, I go
diagnosed cardiac issue or are just taking a proactive approach through along with them. They become like family and I do everything I can to meet
to their health. their needs.” Before joining Memorial Healthcare System, Dr. Avila received specialized
“I’ve been an athlete all my life and discovered sports cardiology during fellowship training and performed research at several institutions: Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai
training,” said Dr. Friedman, a former Division I baseball player at the University of Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts University School of
Pittsburgh. “Exercise is a passion of mine, so this subspecialty is the perfect combination Medicine/Steward Carney Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to
of what’s important to me personally with what I can bring to patients professionally.” her passion for research, Dr. Avila is also a dedicated teacher, having joined Nova
Southeastern University and Florida International University’s Colleges of Medicine as
Juan Pastor-Cervantes, MD an assistant professor.

Dr. Juan Pastor-Cervantes is an Interventional Cardiologist I-wen Wang, MD, PhD
and the Medical Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at
Memorial Regional Hospital. Dr. I-wen Wang is a cardiac surgeon and chief of adult heart
“I knew I wanted to be a doctor from the time I was 12- transplant at Memorial Healthcare System. He is proud of the
years-old,” said Dr. Pastor-Cervantes, who completed residen- great outcomes the cardiac team delivers for patients and the
cy and fellowship training at the University of Miami/Jackson growth of the transplant program, which has exceeded 50
Memorial Hospital. “My grandfather was a physician and a heart transplants since program’s inception five years ago.
respected, important member of our community (in Mexico). “There’s an unspeakable level of joy in the work we do,” said
I was influenced and inspired by him.” Dr. Wang, who was previously at Indiana University
Dr. Pastor-Cervantes was initially attracted to Interventional (Indianapolis) and Washington University (St. Louis). “We
Cardiology because of the immediate impact of that work, and take care of acutely-ill patients, often for a long time, and use
the ability to save lives. He now does 95% of his procedures the full spectrum of our expertise and resources. Restoring
through the radial artery in the wrist and says patients benefit from it being less invasive, them to their former selves is tremendously satisfying.” While Memorial performed 20
safer, and requiring less recovery time than the more traditional entry through the transplants in 2019, Dr. Wang gets as much satisfaction taking care of those who are able
femoral artery in the groin. Pastor-Cervantes says the approach is useful in a variety of to avoid this last-resort treatment. He recently recovered a 19-year-old woman with car-
cardiac and vascular treatments which are routinely performed as outpatient proce- diac standstill from viral infection. The cardiac team was able to restore her to health and
dures at the Memorial Cardiac & Vascular Institute. she walked out of the hospital without having to be transplanted, giving her freedom
from life-long anti-rejections and its potential impact, such as not having children. The
team strives for the best care for each patient.

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