Specialty: Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery
Special Expertise: Cardiac Surgery
Medical School: The Medical College Of Pennsylvania
Fellowships: Thoracic Surgical Oncology: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center
Hospital Affiliation: Boca Raton Regional Hospital
A serial inventor with over 200 patents for lifesaving devices, Dr. Cartledge is a longtime Boca Raton resident. If you’ve had major surgery in the last 15 years, you’ve most likely benefited from one of his cutting-edge devices.
For years, his Thermacor 1200 Rapid Infuser, originally developed with the help of funding through the Department of Defense budget, has been used in hospitals domestically and internationally. The revolutionary pump is capable of infusing high volumes of warmed fluid or blood to keep patients alive until their injury can be definitively treated. It infuses warm blood faster than any other device in the world. It has been used to save the lives of victims of every domestic terrorist event since the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 including the Boston Marathon bombing, the San Bernardino massacre, the Congressional baseball shooting and the Parkland shooting. “It has been used all over, saving lives.”
Richard Cartledge, M.D., FACS, is the Medical Director of the Lynn Heart and Vascular Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. He treats patients with complicated cardiac problems that require complex surgeries. He performs procedures including lung resections for malignancy, heart valve repairs, coronary revascularizations and minimally invasive heart surgeries. “I’m a prolific heart surgeon that loves what he does,” he says. “I love the opportunity and privilege to work on a divine machine.”
Dr. Cartledge is focused on his patients’ best interest. “My plan is always to do the most benefit with least harm. Sometimes that means no surgery.” He always makes certain that his patients’ questions are fully answered prior to leaving his office. “They should fully understand the plan so they can make an informed decision while considering their options.”
Patients come from around the world to benefit from Dr. Cartledge’s innovative procedures, such as the ultra-minimally invasive left atrial appendage ligation, a procedure he pioneered.
He explains that the most common cause of stroke is atrial fibrillation. During AFib, an irregular heart rhythm, the top chambers of the heart do not contract normally. An outpouching in the top chamber can accumulate a clot during AFib, possibly resulting in a stroke. Historically, atrial fibrillation has been treated with blood thinners to prevent stroke. Dr. Cartledge’s ultra-minimally invasive left atrial appendage ligation eliminates the need for blood thinners. The procedure can be done through 1/5 of an inch incisions. Patients typically go home the next day. He published an abstract on his successes with this procedure in the Journal of American College of Cardiology in March 2020. The full manuscript will be published in a European Heart Journal. In addition, surgeons from all over the country come to BRRH to learn Dr. Cartledge’s techniques.
Other inventions include an advanced transcatheter valve, which is a heart valve that is delivered through the groin. It is a new class of transcatheter valve replacement platform. The valve implants itself in a novel way through computer-controlled electro motor arrays. It was sold to Edwards Lifesciences with anticipated release in late 2023. Dr. Cartledge’s company, Mitral Solutions, developed an adjustable mitral valve repair device designed to create a more perfect mitral repair by allowing “live” adjustments while the heart was beating; the technology was purchased by St. Jude in 2009.
Neuvana is the world’s first consumer available “electroceutical.” It’s a device that stimulates the vagus nerve without requiring surgery. Instead, Dr. Cartledge discovered that the nerve is accessible through locations within the ear canal. Stimulation of the vagus nerve results in a feeling of relaxation and well-being. It was designated the best new health wellness and lifestyle product by the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2016. This company was recently recapitalized with help from his dear friend, Warren Orlando, vice chairman of the board at BRRH.
If that’s not enough, his company, Syntheon, developed Sonocision, a surgical device that cuts and coagulates using ultrasonic energy. Now owned by Medtronic, Sonocision has become part of many surgeons’ armamentarium. The Ethicon Echelon Flex Powered was also developed by Syntheon and is the most popular (by gross sales) surgical stapler in the world.
Up Close And Personal
Dr. Cartledge grew up in Hollywood, Florida. He attended Lehigh University where he studied mechanical engineering and completed his undergraduate studies in two years. “I wanted to be a heart surgeon from a very early age,” he says. “I remember seeing Barney Clark, the first recipient of the artificial heart, on TV. I wanted to build the perfect artificial heart and didn’t understand why it couldn’t be easily done. I asked my dad why, if we could send people to the moon, we couldn’t make a successful artificial heart.”
After medical school and residency, Dr. Cartledge completed his training in thoracic surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering and cardiac surgery at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Working with Lincoln Mendez, the new CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, has been a pleasure according to Dr. Cartledge. “I feel supported by, not only the administration, but also the hospital board and foundation. Chairwoman Christine E. Lynn’s philanthropy and support have made the cardiac program at Boca Raton Regional Hospital state of the art. “We have the best equipment and staff. I know each and every one of my team personally. We have weathered a few storms together and come out on the other side. My team is very cohesive and works very hard to provide the best patient care possible.”
In his free time, Dr. Cartledge likes to work on machines created by man. He collects and restores vintage Italian sports cars. He also collects modern and contemporary art.