Octogenarian weightlifter embraces alternative to open-heart surgery
~In May, the 82-year-old Solana Beach resident entered a clinical trial for a minimally invasive procedure to replace a balky aortic valve that restricted his circulation and left him feeling light-headed, especially during exercise. Seven days later, he was back in his garage adding a fresh set of scuffs to the well-abused pile of plates that have been his obsession since he first started Olympic lifting at age 58.~
"The results with the minimally invasive catheter procedure are so good, they're actually better than the open procedure, which was a bit of a surprise to us," said Dr. Paul Teirstein, chief of cardiology and director of interventional cardiology at Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute where Strange was treated.
"In 2017, about 70,000 patients in the United States got their heart valves replaced," Teirstein said. "Two-thirds of them were done with TAVR and about one-third with open surgery. With the results we've seen in the recent studies, you'll see a real minority of them done open in the future."
Comments
Post a Comment