The AHC “Best in Medicine” Award

An experienced cardiothoracic surgeon in Lafayette, Indiana, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner has practiced with Cardiac Surgery Associates since 2021. Among his other professional honors, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner received a “Best in Medicine” award from the American Health Council in 2017.

The American Health Council is an association of healthcare professionals committed to incubating innovative solutions and advocating for effective healthcare delivery across medical specialties and geographic regions. It also recognizes the outstanding performance of leaders in the healthcare field.

Through its Best in Medicine program, the American Health Council honors individuals with records of achievement in leadership, scholarship, management, advocacy, expertise, and other “key roles that drive patient care.” Best in Medicine celebrates accomplishments in the areas of education and training, as well as those in the clinical setting.

Best in Medicine award-winners span the United States and range from emerging leaders to accomplished retirees. After achieving the Best in Medicine designation, they can go on to rank among the American Health Council’s “Leaders in Medicine” or “Doctors to Watch.” They may also win an “Award of Excellence.”

The Role of a Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Dr. Hartmuth Bittner heads Cardiac Surgery Associates operating out of Lafayette, Indiana. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Heidelberg Medical School. Besides a Ph.D., Dr. Hartmuth Bittner is a Diplomate of the National Academy of Sports and Sports Sciences. Between 1998 and 1999, he worked in the cardiothoracic surgery department of Duke University in Durham.

A cardiothoracic surgeon focuses on surgical procedures affecting the chest cavity, including the heart, esophagus, lungs, and other chest organs. Thoracic surgery covers the operation and critical surgical care of patients with congenital or acquired chest pathologic conditions, including aftercare. The most common conditions that require thoracic surgery are heart lesions, coronary artery disease, chest trauma, heart valve problems, lung cancer, emphysema, esophageal cancer, and lung or heart transplantation.

To become a cardiothoracic surgeon, you need to have a four-year undergraduate pre-med course and graduate from a credible medical school. After graduation, you must complete a general surgery residency program (five years) before entering a two or three-year cardiothoracic residency program in surgery. Alternatively, you can take a six-year integrated residency in cardiothoracic surgery.

Dr. Bittner Leading the Way In the Use of New Technology Being at Franciscan Health Lafayette

Franciscan Health Lafayette East has had the privilege on being one of the first 3 centers in the United States to utilize the Quest MP3ND cardiopulmonary bypass systems.  Dr. Hartmuth Bittner has performed 55 open heart surgeries to date with this new technology.  The MP3ND was introduced in 2021 with advanced technology in addition to the features of the traditional MPS2.  This system allows more versatility and precision with each patient, allowing us to deliver a more controlled arrest and confident myocardial protection. We have the ability to deliver all blood microplegia at any ratio as well as Custodial crystalloid cardioplegia, also known as Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate solution. The Quest MP3ND allows us to adjust the drug delivery to exact dosing allowing cardioplegia delivery to be patient specific. The MPS3 ND superior advanced technology with touch screen active monitoring controller and numerous additional safety features. The real time data collection and internal battery are new features for cardioplegia delivery systems. The auto start feature allows for precise closure of the patients aortic valve and better distribution of cardioplegia. Once arrested, we can select the auto feature to continue to deliver our cardioplegia solution with variable flow at a precise pressure while delivering antegrade, ostial, or retrograde cardioplegia. The additional ND feature, no disinfection,  mitigates the risk of M.Chimera contamination. The MPS3ND disposable attaches externally to a water source to thermoregulate the patient’s cardioplegia circuit for cold or warm delivery. With the disconnection of this disposable, the system allows for complete removal of water from the MPS system after the case. This feature alleviates the risk of contaminating the cardiac OR sterile field, and therefore the costs associated with surgical site infections due to Mycobacterium Chimera.

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Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm – Indications for Surgery

A board-certified thoracic surgeon and a resident of Tampa, Florida, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner attended the University of Heidelberg Medical School in Germany, where he earned his MD magna cum laude. Subsequently, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner founded Gulf Coast Cardiothoracic Surgery Institute in Tampa, and leads the medical group as president. As part of his work, he is proficient in the repairs and replacement of tricuspid and pulmonary valves and performs surgeries to repair aortic aneurysms.

When patients experience a thoracic aortic aneurysm, an area in the major blood vessel known as the aorta (which conveys blood from the heart to the body) weaken. As blood pushes against the weakened wall of the defective area, that part of the vessel bulges into a balloon-like structure. For some patients, symptoms like cough and hoarseness, back pain, tenderness or pain in the chest, or difficulty breathing persist as the aortic aneurysm swells. In the worst case, which occurs when the condition has become chronic, the vessel wall may dissect (tear), resulting in internal bleeding that may lead to death. If the aneurysm is slow-growing, the wall may never dissect and a patient may never face the aforementioned symptoms or complications throughout their lifetime.

An aneurysm can be treated with surgery, although this is only done when a patient’s condition warrants aggressive intervention. Surgery may be recommended if the aneurysm has grown beyond 5.5 cm in diameter, or a fast growth rate is discovered (typically over 0.5 cm in six months). Such cases have a greater chance of vessel dissection. If the condition is also causing persistent discomfort to the patient, most especially back, side, and/or stomach pain, surgical intervention may be necessary.

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