Structural Heart Program

A left ventricular assist device that can provide hemodynamic support in patients with decompensated heart failure with poor left ventricular function undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention or who developed cardiogenic shock after a myocardial infarction.

A hole in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart. This defect allows oxygen-rich blood to leak into the oxygen-poor blood chambers in the heart. ASD is a defect in the septum between the heart's two upper chambers (atria). The septum is a wall that separates the heart's left and right sides. Through a minimally invasive technique using a catheter inserted through the groin into the heart and a plug, under X-ray/echocardiography guidance, the hole can be closed.

Percutaneous coronary intervention is a non-surgical procedure used to treat narrowing of the coronary arteries of the heart. After accessing the blood stream through the femoral or radial artery, the procedure uses coronary catheterization to visualize the blood vessels on X-ray imaging. After this, an interventional cardiologist can perform a coronary angioplasty, using a balloon catheter in which a deflated balloon is advanced into the obstructed artery and inflated to relieve the narrowing. Certain devices such as stents can be deployed to keep the blood vessel open. Complex interventions under hemodynamic support with the IMPELLA device can be performed.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a complex and heterogeneous disease with different anatomical variants, physiologic manifestations and genetic underpinnings. Even asymptomatic patients with HCM are at potential risk for sudden cardiac death and require risk stratification and consideration of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for primary or secondary prophylaxis. Through surgery or a catheter-based intervention, an associated intra-cardiac muscular obstruction can be corrected.

A hole in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart. A PFO can only occur after birth when the foramen ovale fails to close. The foramen ovale is a hole in the wall between the left and right atria of every human fetus. This hole allows blood to bypass the fetal lungs, which cannot work until they are exposed to air. When a newborn enters the world and takes its first breath, the foramen ovale closes. When it remains open, it is called a patent foramen ovale. Using a catheter, under X-ray/echocardiography guidance, the hole can be closed.

Balloon valvuloplasty is a procedure that widens a heart valve that is narrowed. During this procedure, a thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through an artery in the groin and threaded into the heart. When the tube reaches the narrowed heart valve, a balloon at the end of the tube is inflated. The balloon widens the valve opening.

A catheter is inserted into the femoral artery or vein in the groin. A wire is guided through the catheter into the heart. A leak is identified around a previously implanted artificial aortic or mitral valve. A special catheter is used to place a closure device through the leak. The closure device acts like a plug to stop the leakage.

TAVR delivers an artificial replacement valve through a catheter inserted through a small incision in the groin or between the ribs. The replacement valve collapses to a very small diameter and is attached to a balloon device. The new valve is then positioned inside the natural aortic valve, inflated and pushes the faulty valve aside. The replacement valve begins to function as soon as the balloon deflates to permit the flow of blood. Complex TAVR procedures in failing surgical aortic and mitral valves are also performed.

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The MitraClip procedure is a minimally invasive catheter-based therapy. It is performed using venous access and real-time imaging, thereby avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass. The MitraClip system utilizes a cobalt chromium clip covered with a polypropylene fabric that grasps both the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflets, thereby reducing mitral regurgitation (MR) by increasing the coaptation between the failing valve leaflets.

Director, Structural Heart Disease Interventions Program

Dr. Cammarata grew up in Southwest Florida and attended the University of Miami, graduating with honors in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He began medical school later that year at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, FL where he was awarded the Jules B. Chapman Scholarship for academic excellence and humanism. He graduated in 2008 and began his internship and residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Internal Medicine. After completion of his residency, Dr. Cammarata spent a year as a hospitalist in Raleigh, North Carolina.

He started a combined research and clinical cardiology fellowship in 2012 at Wake Forest University - Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina. While he was in fellowship he completed a Master of Science degree in “Clinical and Population Translational Sciences” through the Wake Forest University Graduate School. He published several papers relating to cardiology in addition to writing a book chapter on Hybrid revascularization procedures. He has presented multiple abstracts/posters at national conferences. He also completed the American Heart Association’s “Ten-Day Seminar on the Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke” in 2012.

Upon completion of his General Cardiology fellowship in 2016, he began a fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Wake Forest University. During this fellowship, he received training in cardiac procedures including: cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty, stenting, atherectomy, intracoronary imaging, structural cardiac interventions (balloon aortic valvuloplasty, Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), MitraClip, ASD/PFO closure) and peripheral vascular imaging and intervention. He developed special interests in radial artery access for heart catheterization, coronary interventions and trans-catheter interventions in structural heart disease.

He is currently board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology and is currently practicing at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. He lives in Boca Raton with his wife and three children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and participating in watersports including SCUBA and swimming.

Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery

Dr. Cartledge is fellowship trained
in cardiovascular surgery from New York Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and in thoracic surgical oncology from Memorial Sloan Kettering both in New York. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and performed his residency at Mercer University School of Medicine, The Medical Center of Central Georgia. Dr. Cartledge is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, a specialist in heart valve surgery and a regional pioneer of minimally invasive heart valve surgery. Dr. Cartledge performs on and off-pump CABG, complex mitral valve repair, thoracic aortic surgery, minimally invasive lung surgery and many other procedures.

Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon

Dr. Kulik obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto Medical School and completed his cardiac surgery residency training at the
University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He obtained his fellowship board certification from the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and then participated in an advanced aortic surgery fellowship at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. Thereafter, he developed expertise in endovascular surgery within fellowship training at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix. During his surgical training, Dr. Kulik obtained a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University.

Program Coordinator

Mikaela received her Associates Degree in Nursing from Broward College in 2008, her CNOR in 2013, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Florida Southwestern State College in 2022. Her background and clinical experience in structural cardiology interventions and cardiothoracic surgery focus on the care coordination for the patient undergoing these procedures. Her strong interpersonal skills in patient centered care, communication with physicians, families, and administration ensure smooth operations and a superior patient experience.