Bloodless Medicine & Surgery Holds Open House and Health Fair

Jacksonville, Florida, October 10, 2007 -- North Florida/South Georgia's Center for Bloodless Medicine will hold an open house and health fair on Saturday, November 3, 2007, from 1-4 pm at Baptist Medical Center Downtown. This event is specifically designed to provide maximum information and interaction with health care professionals in a concentrated period of time. Medical and surgical specialists will demonstrate equipment and techniques in bloodless medicine and surgery, along with minimally invasive surgery. Physicians will lecture on the latest advances and there will also be stroke prevention and breast cancer awareness information available.

The schedule includes tours of a mock I-Suite operating room at Baptist Downtown, along with the medical center's cardiac catheterization lab at Baptist Heart Hospital, the Center for Endoscopy and the Hyperbaric Chamber. Pharmacists will be available to answer questions about their role in bloodless medicine and about pharmaceuticals.

Demonstrations of blood recycling and surgical equipment will include:

da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System - Surgeon-controlled, computer-assisted system for minimally invasive surgery

Cell Salvage Device - Recovers and reintroduces the patient's own blood lost during surgery

Heart-Lung Machine - Takes over the pumping of the blood and its oxygenation during heart bypass surgery

CardioPAT Device - Used in off-pump, beating heart surgeries to recycle the patient's own blood

Argon Beam Coagulator - Surgical tool that uses argon gas to promote clotting and limit blood loss during surgery

Liver Ablation - Uses microwave heat for the removal of liver tumors

Fibroid Embolization - Minimally invasive treatment of uterine fibroid tumors without removing the uterus

Prostate Seed Implant - A one-time procedure for prostate cancer used as an alternative to radical prostate removal surgery

Free hemoglobin testing and blood pressure screening will also be available, and there will be refreshments and door prizes.

Bloodless Medicine & Surgery, which is available at Baptist Medical Center Downtown, Baptist Medical Center South and Baptist Medical Center Beaches, has been available through Baptist Health for seven years. Bloodless medicine and surgery programs like Baptist Health's offer a number of advantages to patients, including improved recovery times, shorter hospital stays and reduced costs.

For more information about the open house and health fair, call Gary Butler, Bloodless Medicine & Surgery manager, at 904.202.3460.