Paul Jones, M.D., Presents at German Seminar

Paul A. Jones, MD, is known regionally for taking on high complexity cardiovascular cases with success. As the first performer of an FDA-approved carotid stent procedure, his work is known worldwide.

Most recently, Jones’ medical knowledge took him to the Leipzig Interventional Course, held in Leipzig, Germany. This four day course appeals to a large number of medical professionals, with 2012 attendance at 3,607 persons from more than 60 countries. Held January 23-26, Jones was one of 42 from the United States.


Dr. Jones presents at a hospital health fair

Speaking under the category ‘Innovative Technologies for Complex SFA Occlusions,’ Jones provided a presentation on endoluminal bypass in-stent renosis: put simply, treating blockages in arteries of the legs with a percutaneous (non-surgical) bypass.
Topics like Jones were promoted not only through speaking presentations. The Liepzig Interventional Course provides a quite different hands-on experience with live case transmissions shown throughout the course. These video transmissions provide coverage of different interventional approaches and techniques.
Jones, chief of cardiovascular services at Mercy Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Center and medical director of cardiovascular services at Franciscan Physicians Hospital, pioneered the stenting procedures now commonly performed in northwest Indiana.
Procedures done in local catheterization labs save the patient trips to Chicago and beyond.

“I’ve provided over 1,000 carotid stenting procedures and over 10,000 cardiovascular procedures in my career. If you look at the success rate in the population of endovascular cases compared to conventional open surgery, my outcomes compare quite favorably,” says Jones.

Jones medical knowledge comes from not only years of education and experience, but from a drive to pursue clinical excellence.

“When I was in academic medicine, it was clear that the traditional or standard medical treatment strategies for cardiovascular disease all too often fell short of offering optimal care to patients,” states Jones.

“Since I developed the first successful graft stent approximately fifteen year ago, I’ve continued to be active in various clinical research products primarily involving the management of cardiovascular disorders. Through these efforts, I’m able to focus on developing hospital as well as office-based clinical cardiovascular programs.”

Jones believes these programs will shape the future of cardiovascular procedures.

“We’ve revolutionized how we manage cardiovascular disease and we are again rapidly shifting away from conventional surgery. Management of cardiovascular disease is evolving to an almost completely nonsurgical approach and conventional surgery as we know it will become almost obsolete.”

Training and organization of these programs will be central to managing a population of individuals with cardiovascular conditions. Jones and others are working to provide a template in which those programs find success. Jones, seeing early on the need for these programs, started the Jones Endovascular Institute.

Says Jones, “I developed the Jones Endovascular Institute ten years ago for the primary purposes of focusing on and developing clinical practices, and providing services to high risk patients who are ideally not surgical candidates.”

The path is paved for comprehensive care provisions through his program, notes Jones.

“We’ve developed a group of physicians focused on these same initiatives. I ensure that they’re properly trained so that clinical and technical skill sets are at a level providing the best possible cardiovascular service.”

With ground work set and efforts under way, patients in the next decade and beyond will receive a higher level of cardiovascular care through Jones’ approach.

“I’m trying to develop a model that will have a sincere impact on clinical outcomes in terms of bridging the gap for access of services,” states Jones. “Once you do that, you can have a true impact on the natural prevalence of the disease and the economy.”

Hopes are high and work is still under way, but Jones and partnering providers know that continued education will eventually break the cycle of limited accomplishments.

Jones states, “If we can be successful with this venture, we will have a sustainable impact on cardiovascular disease states.”

Distinguishing Honors

In 1999, Dr. Paul Jones was featured in Chicago Magazine’s “20 World Class Doctors.” He was recognized by the American Heart Association in 2002, receiving the “Chicago Heart Award.” Jones was named one of the Top Doctors of Chicago in 2011, and U.S. News and World Report honored him for Revolutionized Cardiovascular Physician for Care and Treatment of Carotid Artery Disease in 2005.

In 2000, Dr. Jones founded the Peripheral Vascular Intervention Preceptorship; an extensive, two day hands-on physician training program for vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists. These programs and others train physicians for the future cardiovascular medicine.

Video: Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?

Dr. Krista Molina, Family Medicine, talks about the thyroid and discusses how thyroid conditions affect your body, including weight gain. This presentation was held at Omni Health & Fitness in Chesterton in January 2012...one of several Spirit of Women "Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?" presentations that month across Northern Indiana.

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Watch for upcoming monthly seminars “A Little DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Will Do You” in February and “Avoid a Brainwreck (Concussions)” in March.

For more information about these events call (800) 931-3322. To sign up for Spirit of Women, visit our webpage or fill out our online form on Facebook!

Your Joints and You: Supporting a Healthy Lifestyle

27 million: Does that seem like a large number? How about 27 million people suffering a painful condition.

That’s the estimated number of American adults age 25 and over with osteoarthritis, according to A.D.A.M. Online. While joint health may seem like a minor detail in the rush of life, treatment and prevention at a young age can help to decrease later effects on the body.

Prevention, the easiest and most beneficial step, begins with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a healthy weight. These key ingredients to joint health provide benefits to many other aspects of life as well.

Exercise benefits joint health by supporting bone density, improving muscle strength, and improving joint flexibility.

While prevention is important, it’s also very important to know the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis so individuals are aware if they suffer from it. Symptoms include:

• Aching or stiffness
• Worsening during activity and improving during rest
• Occurring intermittently
• Grating sensation when joint is moved
• Bony growths on the margins of joints

While no wholly curing treatment for osteoarthritis exists, there are treatment options that can reduce pain, improve flexibility and increase overall quality of life. These treatment options include:

• Lifestyle modifications
• Non-drug approaches such as exercise, weight loss, and physical therapy
• Medications
• Surgery

Why does osteoarthritis occur?

Osteoarthritis is generally a slow process that occurs when the cartilage in a joint deteriorates. Cartilage is a slippery tissue that coats the ends of bones, providing a cushion during muscle movement.

In the early stages of deterioration, the surface of cartilage becomes inflamed and swollen. As the joint continues to lose molecules and other tissues, it starts to lose water. Eventually, fissures and pits appear in the cartilage.

Further progression leads to further loss of cartilage. With the individual still using the joint(s) everyday, increased damage and injury occur. Eventually, with large amounts of cartilage destroyed, bone ends leave the joint unprotected and injury occurs more rapidly.

Am I at risk?
There are lots of risk factors that can affect the 27 million Americans living with osteoarthritis. These include:

• Age: While the disease can affect anyone, it rarely occurs in individuals younger than 40.
• Gender: When the disease does occur in individuals younger than 45, it occurs more frequently in men. After 45, it develops more often in women. Research suggests that women may feel greater muscle and joint pain than men.
• Obesity: Obesity is defined as being 20% over one’s healthy weight. Because of increased weight on the joints, obesity places individuals, particularly women, at a higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.
• Work/Leisure Factors: Work and leisure that pose increased stress on joints and muscles present risks for developing osteoarthritis. These include repeated stressful motions, such as lifting, climbing, or carrying heavy objects.

Changing Your Risk Factors for the Better

Options are available to reduce your risk of osteoarthritis starting today. The first is considering an occupational change, if your job poses added risk to joint deterioration. People in occupations with repetitive and stressful movement should try to reduce the trauma by adjusting work areas, substituting tasks, and reducing overall wear on joints.

Exercise is another important step to reducing your risk factors. Moving joints equal healthy joints, and prolonged periods of inactivity cause the arthritic joint to stiffen and adjoining tissue to waste away; a process called atrophy. Moderate exercise with low-impact aerobics helps to reduce stiffness, increase flexibility, promote weight loss, and improve overall strength. Improving strength leads to increases in balance and endurance, which can both assist in the reduction of osteoarthritis.

Three types of exercise are best for those with osteoarthritis:

• Strengthening exercise
• Range-of-motion exercise
• Aerobic, or endurance, exercise

Weight reduction is of significant benefit for those who are obese or overweight. An in-depth report on weight loss and diet showed that losing 5 lbs. of weight can eliminate 20 lbs. of stress on the knees. This happens because knees sustain 3 to 5 times your body’s weight when descending stairs or other declines.

Heat and ice treatments are an option for those experiencing inflamed joints. Ice can be applied when a joint is inflamed for 20-30 minutes to reduce swelling. Heat treatments, such as lying in a bath or applying a heat pad, can also help to reduce stiffness and pain.

Further options include mechanical aids, pain management, herbs and dietary supplements, and acupuncture. A range of options are available to assist in reducing the impact of osteoarthritis on your everyday health.

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