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Octopus Surgery; just what the heart needs
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THE NUMBERS: About 500,000 Americans die each year from coronary heart disease, making it the leading cause of death in the United States.
STANDARD SURGERY: Many patients with coronary heart disease have open-heart operations, especially bypass surgery. These are traditionally performed with a heart-lung machine. The machine serves as a substitute for the patient's own beating heart and lungs, allowing the organs to function while surgeons operate on a "still" heart.
SIDE EFFECTS: Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Ken Ashton, of Southwest Heart & Lung in Phoenix, Ariz., says certain side effects have been linked with the heart-lung machine. These include cognitive and personality disorders. He says these side effects are sometimes very subtle. Results from detailed cognitive and personality testing on patients who have been on the heart-lung machine show differences compared with those who have not been on the machine.
BEATING HEART SURGERY: Doctors also perform Beating Heart Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting surgery. Although it is associated with less cell damage and blood loss, there are limitations in how comprehensive these surgeries can be. Now, Ashton uses a special machine that allows him to perform beating heart surgeries without the limitations.
THE OCTOPUS: The Octopus is a revolutionary instrument used in beating heart surgery. The name comes from its suction device of two arms and a series of "suckers," which allow doctors to position the heart in various places with the chest open. Suctioning stabilizes whatever portion of the heart they are operating on. The two arms go on either side of the artery that is going to be bypassed. The rest of the heart continues to beat, providing oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
BENEFITS: The advanced instrument allows surgeons to focus specifically on the particular artery they are bypassing and then move to various portions of the heart to do multiple bypasses. After completing each bypass, surgeons can position the heart to keep a different area of the heart still so they can work in a still field. Doctors say recovery time is quicker with the Octopus. There is generally a shorter time in removing the ventilator used during the operation, a shorter Intensive Care Unit stay, and a shorter time to discharge from the hospital. Proponents of the instrument believe there are fewer complications associated with it as well.
RECOVERY: Ashton said the post-operative recovery rate is related to the condition a patient is in pre-op. He said, "If you take care of yourself, you're more apt to have a speedier recovery, and it's also related to state of mind, as well as the particular type of heart surgery you go through. The beating heart method tends to get patients out of the hospital quicker and back to their routine of daily living quicker as well."
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Debbie Welshans
Southwest Heart & Lung
10930 North Tatum Blvd., Suite 103
Phoenix, AZ 85028
(602) 263-7600 ext. 110
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