Uncommon Knowledge

One of them is held by Eric E. Roselli, MD. “At Cleveland Clinic, we commonly see uncommon things,” says Dr. Roselli, the Stephens Family Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery. “When you see uncommon things with proximity in time, you’re better equipped to make observations that lead to discoveries for taking better care of patients.”

Consider aortic arch replacement surgery. In any given year, another medical center might perform five of these complicated procedures; Cleveland Clinic performs upwards of 150, most of which entail a novel technique developed by Dr. Roselli and colleagues. Branched Stented Anastomosis Frozen Elephant Trunk Repair — B-SAFER for short — combines open-heart surgery and endovascular surgery to fix damaged blood vessels with a synthetic tube (the “elephant trunk”), fabric-covered stents and traditional suturing techniques. “It’s a complex operation because the aortic arch is where vessels to the central nervous system originate,” Dr. Roselli says. “The longer it takes, the more risk to the brain and spinal cord. We’ve modified existing devices to speed up and simplify the operation.”

Investigation toward commercialization of new dedicated B-SAFER technology is in the works. In the meantime, a B-SAFER clinical trial is underway, supported with funding from the Stephens family. The generosity of donors also allows Dr. Roselli to train future physician-scientists in his translational research lab focused on high-risk cardiovascular surgery.

Here, where the uncommon is common, philanthropy is a common thread weaving progress through care, research and education. “Across our mission,” Dr. Roselli says, “we’re using philanthropy to drive innovation.”