Story Experiment: Closed Heart Valve Surgery

[Barbara Stewart]

Apparently a lot of you have already heard about this, but it was news to me so I figured it might be news to some of you on this thread. It really belongs on "New Advancements" but I'd never been there until today. So...I found this piece in my Sunday paper that made me very hopeful for the future. The prospect of avoiding another OHS in 10 or 15 years is very exciting. The first few actual valve replacements done with the minimally invasive techniques have been done. Here is the link I found. It may be in your paper today in the health or living section or whatever they call it where you live.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/HEALTH?SITE=PAYOK

From there you can find the whole article. I hope you find this as inspiring as I did. Have a great Sunday.

Barbara

 

[Praline]

Barbara,

Barbara,

I read this same article on the "google alerts-heart news" a couple of days ago.
I also thought it was very interesting.

 

[Ross]

Better link

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/st...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-04-01-23-33-40

 

[ks1490]

Thanks

Thanks

Many thanks for sharing this.

 

[Patrick Haley]

Story Experiment: Closed Heart Valve Surgery

My son sent me this article this morning. This could be good news for many of us who will probably have to have our valves replaced again someday.

It is a beginning.


http://www.wired.com/news/wireservice/0,70567-0.html?tw=wnstorymailer





Patrick Haley---AVR/MVR---Maze Procedure, November 8, 2005, Dr Patrick McCarthy, Northwestern Medical Facility

 

[catwoman]

I had heard of this at least a year ago from a nephew-in-law, who works with investments in the medical field. he had mentioned some new developments in cardiac surgery.

My dad showed me the AP article from Sunday's Dallas Morning News when I visited him yesterday. The article referred to the replacement valves as all being "artificial"; I don't remember if the writer clarified by saying tissue or mechanical.

 

[tobagotwo]

The catheter-placed valves do look like the future. While we are looking forward to that, it's best to realize that the death rate from the current catheter-placing procedures varies from three times to over twenty times that of the more traditional surgery, depending on the case and the device.

This is not a choice for someone who is looking for a safer alternative - yet. However, it's a chance at life for those who don't have hope otherwise.

Time and experience are our allies in both methods and practitioners.

Best iwshes,

 

[FredH]

Sounds Great

Sounds Great

This sounds very hopeful. I am 62 and had surgery almost 6 years ago. I am hoping that by the time this valve wears out (I did not get a mechanical but a human valve) this method will be perfected. I am wondering is this a mechanical valve and will it require blood thinners. That is why I did not get the mechanical valve last time.