Brigham and Women's Surgeons to Showcase Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery on the Internet; Aortic Valve Replacement Procedure Topic of Hospital's Third Webcast.Health/Medical Writers/High-Tech Writers BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2003 On September 4 at 4:30 ET, surgeons at Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a hospital in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill. With Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two founding members of Partners HealthCare. (BWH BWH Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) BWH Backyard Wildlife Habitat BWH Blue Water High (TV show) BWH Backup Withholding BWH Bust/Waist/Hip (measurement) ) in Boston will replace a patient's aortic valve aortic valve n. The valve between the left ventricle of the heart and the ascending aorta, consisting of three semilunar cusps. Aortic valve during a live Internet broadcast. The webcast, which is the third in a series, is intended to educate medical students, cardiac surgeons A cardiac surgeon is a surgeon who performs cardiac surgery - operative procedures on the heart and great vessels. Training In the United States and Canada, a cardiac surgery residency typically comprises anywhere from six to nine years (or longer) of training to become , and the general public about the latest minimally invasive techniques now available for such a procedure. Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement Aortic valve replacement is a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient's aortic valve is replaced by a different valve. The aortic valve can be affected by a range of diseases; the valve can either become leaky (aortic insufficiency / regurgitation) or partially blocked (aortic is not as widely performed as the more traditional form of surgery, which requires the patient to undergo a complete sternotomy in order to access the heart. However, the less-invasive form of the surgery is gaining popularity among cardiothoracic cardiothoracic /car·dio·tho·rac·ic/ (-thah-ras´ik) pertaining to the heart and the thorax. car·di·o·tho·rac·ic n. Of or relating to the heart and the chest. surgeons as technology improves and the benefits to the patients increase. The aortic valve, located on the left side of the heart, is the opening through which blood is ejected to the rest of the body. When the valve does not work properly - either because of a birth defect birth defect Genetic or trauma-induced abnormality present at birth. A more restrictive term than congenital disorder, it covers abnormalities that arise during the formation of an embryo's organs and tissues and does not include those caused by diseases (e.g. or from wear associated with aging - it becomes too narrow or fails to close completely. Either condition usually causes extraordinary stress on the heart, and can cause fluid retention and eventually severe heart failure. "While the success rate on this type of surgery is very high, the recovery process, traditionally, can be a painful experience for the patient," said Lawrence Cohn, MD, of BWH. "By performing the less-invasive version of this surgery, the patient may enjoy a faster and less uncomfortable recovery." Cohn said that in addition to swifter recovery times and less post-operative pain, patients also require shorter respiratory support time and experience less blood loss. There is also a decreased risk of infection associated with the minimally invasive approach, Cohn said. "After this surgery, patients usually can expect to return to healthy, and more active lifestyles," said Cohn. "Now that the procedure can be done with minimally invasive techniques, their quality of life immediately after surgery also improves significantly." To Access Broadcast: www.or-live.com/BrighamandWomens/1127 |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion