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Surgery: Cardiothoracic (Heart Services)
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Heart valve 'redo'
Four out of 106 heart replacement valves from pig hearts failed
June 29,
2009 -- Pig heart valves used to replace defective aortic valves in human patients failed much earlier and more often than expected, says a report from cardiac surgeons at the School of Medicine. This is the first report to demonstrate this potential problem, the researchers say.
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Quiet killer
WUSM clinic devoted to treating deadly, silent heart condition
April 9,
2008 -- Every so often we read a news report in which a young athlete collapses and dies during a competition — it's rare, but it happens. And when it does, often the cause is a silent heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic at the School of Medicine is devoted to diagnosis and treatment of HCM.
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Simple, significant improvement
Surgeons announce advance in atrial fibrillation surgery
April 7,
2008 -- Heart surgeons at the School of Medicine report that by adding a simple 10-20 second step to an operative procedure they achieved a significant improvement in the outcome for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The surgeons redirected wayward electrical impulses that cause AF by creating precisely placed scars, or ablations, in the heart muscle.
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New hope for heart patients
Woman is first in region to receive new heart valve without open-heart surgery
Jan. 17,
2008 --
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| John Lasala and Ralph Damiano Jr. work together on the first surgery in the PARTNER trial. |
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A 78-year-old St. Louis woman was the first patient in this region to receive an experimental device to replace her defective aortic valve without opening the chest wall or using a heart-lung machine. This procedure was performed by Washington University heart specialists at Barnes-Jewish Hospital on Jan. 15.
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Potential PARTNER for heart patients
Heart valve replacement without open-heart surgery is subject of clinical study
Dec. 6,
2007 --
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| Courtesy Edward Lifesciences |
In a nationwide clinical trial, physicians are testing an investigational device that allows them to insert replacement aortic valves without opening the chest or using a heart-lung machine, making the procedure available to high-risk and formerly inoperable patients. The School of Medicine has been selected as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigative site in the trial evaluating this technique, which uses a far less invasive procedure than the standard open-heart surgery.
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Healing the hole
Heart repair may give migraine relief
Sept. 5,
2007 -- More than 30 million Americans suffer from debilitating migraine headaches, but a current worldwide clinical trial may have many on the road to relief. Closing a small hole in the heart has already alleviated migraine symptoms for a group of stroke patients, says WUSM physician John Lasala. Now, a clinical trial of hundreds of patients is trying to better gauge the effectiveness of the procedure.
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Targeting a killer
Enzyme critical for early growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms
Feb. 12,
2007 -- Surgery is the only treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a weak spot in the body's main artery that dilates dangerously over time. If the vessel ruptures suddenly before surgery to repair it, a quick death is virtually certain. Now, scientists say they have identified a key enzyme that triggers chronic inflammation in the aorta and promotes the growth of aneurysms. Their finding raises hopes for developing a drug that could prevent small aneurysms from enlarging to the point where surgery is necessary.
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An easier way
Surgeons develop simpler way to cure atrial fibrillation
Feb. 12,
2007 --
Physicians have an effective new option for treating atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heart rhythm that can cause stroke. WUSM heart surgeons under the direction of Ralph Damiano have developed and tested a device that radically shortens and simplifies a complex surgical procedure that has had the best long-term cure rate for persistent atrial fibrillation. The simplified procedure is termed Cox-maze IV, and the surgeons believe it can replace the older "cut and sew" Cox-maze III.
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Faster and easier
High-energy clamp simplifies heart surgery for atrial fibrillation
Oct. 9,
2006 --
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| This illustration of the Cox-Maze procedure shows the ablation lines in the left atrium. |
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Heart surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have helped usher in a new era in the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. Using radiofrequency devices — rather than a scalpel — they've greatly shortened the surgery and made it significantly easier to perform. WUSM surgeon Ralph J. Damiano Jr. and colleagues have played a vital role in developing the devices, which deliver high-energy waves to heart tissue and very quickly create scars or ablations. More...
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Paperless records
Washington University physicians embrace e-records
July 17,
2006 --
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| Computer screens are replacing X-rays and paper files. |
Surgeons and staff no longer wonder where's the chart in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. That's because the division switched from using paper files to a fully electronic medical record system. Electronic records are thought to improve the quality of care, reduce errors and improve efficiency. The federal government has set a goal for widespread adoption of e-records in medical practices within the next 10 years.
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