Because medicine is changing at an ever-accelerating rate, many physicians are becoming increasingly specialized to provide patients with the most advanced, effective and targeted care.

Cardiologist David Allen, DO, who leads St. Luke’s Pulmonary Hypertension (HP) Program, is one such example. The only program of its kind in the region, it provides patients with expert and personalized diagnosis, treatment and support.

“Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation in the blood pressure of the arteries in the lungs,” said Dr. Allen of St. Luke’s Cardiology Associates. “Over time, PH damages the heart and causes problems throughout the body. It can be fatal. That’s why getting an accurate diagnosis as early as possible is so important. We have effective treatment options to improve our patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. The earlier we begin treatment, the more effective it is.”

PH has many different causes, all treated differently. It is not one diagnosis but involves many different disease states. As a result, it is often misdiagnosed, sometimes for years. Proper diagnosis of its cause is crucial to determining the appropriate treatment.

If left-sided heart failure causes PH, it’s treated by managing the patient’s heart failure, such as giving the patient diuretics, he explained. If it’s due to chronic lung clots, it’s treated with blood thinners and surgery to address the blood clots. With pulmonary arterial hypertension involving abnormal thickening and increased resistance in the pulmonary arteries, many new medical therapies can help reduce the pressure in the lungs and improve symptoms.

Following a fellowship at Deborah Heart & Lung, Dr. Allen completed a one-year fellowship at Temple University under Paul Forfi, MD, a nationally recognized expert in hypertension. Today, Dr. Allen is one of the leading physicians treating PH in the northeast.

“Patients are your best teachers,” he said. “Like any job, you hone your craft and get better as the years go on.”

Recognizing Dr. Allen’s expertise, St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Center has opened the area’s first and only Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Program, which treats patients using the latest medicines, procedures and other therapies and educates them on modern, effective medical and lifestyle knowledge. A coordinator, nurse, nurse practitioner and social worker round out his team. The social worker addresses patients’ social and financial issues so they can follow the prescribed treatment.

The most common early symptom of PH is shortness of breath that worsens. Other symptoms include lightheadedness, becoming easily fatigued and chest discomfort. Sometimes physicians attribute these symptoms to the disease or the patient being overweight, but a deeper dive can identify information that leads to the most effective treatment.

Patient Irene Huber of Tobyhanna began seeing Dr. Allen, “the savior,” three years ago. She was in the hospital for treatment of a heart condition. Dr. Allen immediately recognized the need to strengthen her lungs. He prescribed blood thinners and surgery. At the time, she needed an oxygen machine to help her breathe 24 hours a day. Today, she only needs it at night.

“He’s excellent,” she said. “He takes the time to explain things almost like a friend. I would recommend him to anyone. If it weren’t for Dr. Allen, I would not be the person I am. His treatment changed everything.”

While Dr. Allen likes the challenge of identifying what’s driving the symptoms and the best way to treat them, what he likes most is seeing the impact of treatment. He recalls a 22-year-old woman he treated in the ICU. She was in cardiogenic shock, a life-threatening condition where the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Dr. Allen treated her with a continuous infusion of IV medication and oral medications and eventually discharged her home. Today, the right side of her heart looks relatively normal. She works and works out every day.

“That’s a good quality of life. We had a humongous impact on her life,” he said. “When patients return to the office functioning and feeling better, I feel good about that. When I can have people who were on death’s bed in the ICU, and I see them five years later, and I know that without our treatment and intervention, they wouldn’t be here, that’s amazingly gratifying.