Chief of Beebe Healthcare’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Program Encourages Healthy Lifestyles to Help Prevent Heart Disease
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Christopher Genco, Chief of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at Beebe Healthcare, encouraged those attending the recent Go Red For Women Luncheon to practice “Life’s Simple 7” to help prevent heart disease.
Those lifestyle behaviors are:
- Manage blood pressure
- Control cholesterol
- Get active
- Eat healthy
- Lose weight
- Stop smoking
“While our risk for heart disease increases with age, and is influenced by genetics and our family history, we still may have an opportunity to either prevent it or to minimize its impacts on our quality of life through our everyday behaviors,” Dr. Genco told the crowd of more than 200 people attending the 10th annual Go Red For Women luncheon at Baywood Greens.
Heart disease is the Number 1 killer of men and women. In the United States, Cardiovascular diseases and stroke cause one in three women’s deaths each year, according to the American Heart Association.
To raise awareness about heart disease in women, the American Heart Association in 2004 kicked off the Go Red for Women social and educational initiative, which includes an annual fundraising luncheon bringing women together to learn more about the disease so that they can empower themselves.
The American Heart Association luncheon at Baywood Greens raised about $28,000 to support the American Heart Association of Southern Delaware. Sponsors included: Beebe Healthcare; Boulevard Ford-Lincoln of Lewes and Georgetown; Delaware Electric Cooperative; Fulton Bank; NRG; Preston Automotive Group, and WSFS Bank.
Dr. Genco, who was the keynote speaker, described the two types of heart disease – coronary artery and valvular (valve) -- and the treatment options that are available. With the help of a slide show and video, Dr. Genco explained how surgical and interventional treatments often can help improve a patient’s health and quality of life.
He encouraged listeners to visit a doctor if they have symptoms such as pains in their chests, dizziness or even loss of consciousness as they may need to be treated for heart valve disease.
“There is so much that can be done today to help someone with heart disease,” he said.
Today, Beebe has a comprehensive Cardiac and Vascular program that includes heart and vascular surgery performed in specialized operating rooms, and interventional procedures, such as angioplasty and stenting, performed in cardiac catheterization labs, and cardiac ablations performed in electrophysiology labs at the Medical Center campus in Lewes. Beebe also provides the community with advanced cardiac and vascular diagnostic tests and cardiac rehabilitation.
As Beebe prepares to expand its Cardiac and Vascular programs, it is in the process of raising money to fund a new Hybrid OR, where more advanced cardiac and vascular procedures could be performed, Dr. Genco said.
“We enjoyed having Dr. Genco here to share his expertise and we welcome him to our community,” said Pat Sandy, program co-chair. “Heart disease is the number one killer and we need to stay informed. I want to thank everyone who supported our effort to raise funds for research, and we are grateful that Beebe is here in our community.”
Dr. Genco joined Beebe Healthcare earlier this year. He arrived here from the Michigan Cardiovascular Institute where he practiced for over 24 years in the Saginaw-Midland-Bay City area. Dr Genco was one of the top 5 busiest surgeons in Michigan performing between 200 and 350 open heart surgeries per year as well as numerous vascular and thoracic cases. He has performed well over 5,000 open heart procedures in his career. He was also instrumental in starting the first TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) programs in Mid-Michigan.
While in Michigan, Dr. Genco participated in numerous clinical research projects and published articles in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of American College of Cardiology and the Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery. He is a past president of the Saginaw County Medical Society (550-member organization).
Board Certified in Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Genco is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Surgery and the American College of Phlebology.
Dr Genco’s scope of practice includes all forms of adult cardiac and thoracic surgeries including aortic valve replacement, mitral valve repair, replacement as well as coronary artery bypass surgery, lung resections for lung cancer, carotid endarterectomies, as well as abdominal and thoracic aneurysm repairs. Dr. Genco see patients at Beebe Cardiac Surgery at 400 Savannah Road in Lewes. He also is affiliated with the Beebe Vein Center.
