Diseased Heart Valve Replaced Through Small Ches... ( New procedure prospective o...)

Diseased Heart Valve Replaced Through Small Chest Incision

Date:2/9/2009

New procedure prospective option for patients too frail for open-heart surgery

CHICAGO, Feb 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When 91-year-old Irvin Lafferty was diagnosed with severe blockage of his heart valve -- hardening that is formally known as aortic valve stenosis -- open-heart surgery was out of the question. He'd already survived quadruple bypass while in his 50s, and having lived almost a century, Lafferty wasn't a good candidate for heart surgery for many reasons. His local cardiologist referred him to surgical and interventional specialists at Chicago's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. And, on January 21, 2009, Lafferty became the first patient in Illinois to receive a prosthetic heart valve through a procedure known as transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation, which combines catheterization technology and traditional surgery, allowing doctors to implant a new heart valve in place of Lafferty's diseased valve while his heart remained beating.

"Traditional open-heart surgery is a very safe and effective way to replace diseased heart valves, but for many patients bypass surgery is not a viable option," says Patrick M. McCarthy, MD, Northwestern Memorial's chief of cardiothoracic surgery and co-director of its Bluhm Institute and a Heller-Sacks professor of surgery at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "By utilizing the percutaneous technique -- meaning surgery is not required -- we are able to greatly reduce risk for these patients. We see percutaneous valve repair as not only having a great impact upon how high-risk patients are treated, but in how heart valve disease is trea
'/>"/>

SOURCE Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3 4
Related medicine news :

1. Tumor-killing virus selectively targets diseased brain cells
2. Physicians Hail VNUS Device for Closing Diseased Perforating Veins
3. Bayer Consumer Care Joins Forces with WomenHeart to Fight Heart Disease
4. Tributes.com Launches Light a Candle Program In Support of the American Heart Association and Heart Health Month
5. The Childrens Heart Foundation to Support National Congenital Heart Coalition (NCHC) on Capitol Hill by Participating in National Congenital Heart Lobby Day on February 10
6. WomenHeart Celebrates American Heart Month With Heart Promises Campaign
7. National Heart Failure Awareness Week February 8-14, 2009: Visit www.abouthf.org to Learn More About Heart Failure
8. Leading Spring Water Brands From Nestle Waters Team Up With the American Heart Association START! Initiative
9. Scientists Heartened at Prospect of End to Stem Cell Ban
10. Valentines Day Indulgences Can Be Heart Healthy
11. Genetic Test for Heart Disease Risk in the Works

Post Your Comments:

Diseased Heart Valve Replaced Through Small Ches...( New procedure prospective o...),Health