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Intro: Every year thousands of people have open heart surgeries: bypasses to reroute blocked arteries, valve repairs and more. And if you ask anyone who's had heart surgery, they'll likely tell you, the experience was stressful and at times painful. Doctors at Mayo Clinic want to change that. They're starting a new program called the Healing Enhancement Program. The goal is pain-free open heart surgery. Yes, this includes medications, but it also includes complementary therapies like massage.
| Video | Audio |
| Rod Anderson (17:36) | "YOU WANT TO GET IT RIGHT IN THE BASKET." |
VO: Rod playing Frisbee golf with friends |
TO ROD ANDERSON, PLAYING THIS ROUND OF FRISBEE GOLF WITH HIS BUDDIES IS A PARTICUARLY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. |
| Rod (21:18) | "GOOD SHOT..." |
VO: Rod and friends playing Frisbee golf |
YOU SEE, TODAY'S THE FIRST TIME ROD'S BEEN ON THE COURSE SINCE HE HAD OPEN HEART SURGERY TO REPAIR DAMAGE CAUSED BY AN AORTIC DISSECTION. ROD SAID, SURE, IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE HIS CHEST OPENED FOR SURGERY, BUT THAT PAIN WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO ... |
Rod Anderson (8:30)Had Open Heart Surgery |
"MY BACK WAS LITERALLY KILLING ME. IT'S ALMOST INDESCRIBABLE THE SORENESS THAT YOU FEEL." |
| VO: from Rod to Dr. Sundt | ROD'S SURGEON, DR. THORALF SUNDT III SAYS YOU GET SORE AFTER SURGERY BECAUSE ... |
Thoralf Sundt III, M.D. (29:57) Mayo Clinic Surgeon |
"WHEN WE OPEN THE STERNUM TO DO THE SURGERY, THE RIB CAGE SPREADS IN THE BACK. SO PEOPLE EXPERIENCE PAIN BETWEEN THEIR SHOULDER BLADES." |
| VO: from Dr. Sundt to massage video | MEDICATIONS HELPED EASE ROD'S SORE MUSCLES, BUT HE SAID MASSAGE HELPED MORE. |
| Rod Anderson (15:39) | "IT HELPED MY STRESS. HELPED MY PAIN IN MY BACK." |
VO: Massage video |
MASSAGE IS JUST ONE WAY EXPERTS AT MAYO CLNIC ARE WORKING TOWARDS THEIR GOAL OF PAIN-FREE OPEN HEART SURGERY. |
Massage Therapist (53:03) (talking as she is massaging) |
"WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN REDUCE PAIN, TENSION AND ANXIETY." |
VO: guided imagery video To Viv stand up (walking into room with music |
WHY? BECAUSE WHEN PATIENTS ARE RELAXED, THEY FEEL PAIN LESS. SO IN ADDITION TO MASSAGE, THE PROGRAM INCLUDES GUIDED IMAGERY WHERE PATIENTS LISTEN TO SPECIAL CD'S, STRESS MANAGEMENT COUNSELING, AND SOOTHING MUSIC IN PATIENT ROOMS. |
| Thoralf Sundt III, M.D. (26:14) | "THE AIM OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE NEEDS OF THE PATIENT." |
| VO: Rod playing Frisbee golf with friends (sounds of laughing after score) | SO THAT PATIENTS LIKE ROD WILL FEEL BETTER FASTER AND GET BACK ON THE COURSE OF LIFE SOONER. |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. |
Tag: Dr. Sundt says he and his colleagues are addressing every aspect of open heart surgery to find ways to make the experience better for patients and their families. Again, he believes if patients are more relaxed and feel better during the ordeal, they will return to a full life faster. He and his colleagues are working on studies to see if this is true. For more information, log onto our Web site at ...
STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide a link from your station's Web site to www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge or voice tag "mayoclinic.org/medical-edge" for more information.
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