Home | Health | Surgery

My Old and Frail Grandpa had Cardiac Surgery and went home in two days!

By: Giovanni B.Ciuffo, MD


Read More About surgery

It does sound like science fiction but it is definitely not!! Many elderly patients can rapidly return to their valuable lives and families after a minimally invasiveheart operation. There is a widespread conviction among well-meaning sons or daughters and sometimes even their own doctors that elderly patients with a serious heart condition are too old and frail to withstand any type of surgery.The reverse is actually true: they are too old and frail to tolerate their heart condition without the help of a cardiac surgeon! Our statistics are showing this important truth. The most common problems that can be corrected to save these patients' lives are heart valve malfunctions, aneurysms and coronary artery blockages. Elderly patients can live longer AND better if they are offered a minimally invasive heart surgical solution for their heart problem. If you or a loved one are caught in this predicament, you can learn what to ask for and what to look for.
1. Is there an age limit? Age is truly a relative concept! I have seen countless patients in their 80's and 90's who had perfectly lucid minds and productive life styles and were nevertheless denied lifesaving surgery just because of their age. These patients are often physiologically younger than their stated age and do great with their heart surger procedures. In my experience, the fact that they are looking forward to an improved life style is by itself a great insurance of surgical success.

2. Can your level of energy be restored by surgery? Heart disease and symptoms of chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath and weakness tend to affect elderly patients by gradually taking away their life style. This is the time to have a "heart to heart" with a heart surgeon who can offer the right surgical therapy to restore energy levels and a better life style.

3. Can minimally invasive cardiac surgery be carried out in your case? Most elderly heart patients can now be helped with minimally invasive techniques and be back on their feet in less than 24 hours after surgery. Most patients can return to their homes and families in two to three days. Make sure you find out if the surgeon is truly a specialist in minimally invasive techniques and don't be shy about asking how many of his patients get a minimally invasive approach.If necessary ask for a second opinion. An expert minimally invasive surgeon will use these techniques in the majoritymost of his patients.

I'll conclude with a quote from my 84 year old father-in-law, a recently retired family doctor: "Many elderly patients are youthful minds trapped in an old cage". Well...it's your body, it's your heart, it's your life!! Help yourself to what modern medicine can offer.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

More information about Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo's revolutionary minimally invasive heart surgery techniques is available at www.bigappleheartsurgery.com Dr. Giovanni B. Ciuffo is a "superspecialist" in Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery and Bloodless Heart Surgery. He currently runs a busy Cardiothoracic Surgery practice at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, where he cares for numerous patients coming from the Tri-State Area and the rest of the country.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive surgery Articles Via RSS!

counter easy hit

Powered by Article Dashboard