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Medical Edge Television News

Off-Pump Bypass

G20 - May 2006 - Off-Pump Bypass

Intro: Every year thousands of people have open heart bypass surgery to reroute blocked arteries. The standard operation requires your heart to be stopped and your blood circulated through a heart-lung machine. But now a group of doctors are performing bypasses without silencing your beating heart. More from Mayo Clinic.

Video Audio
  (SOUNDS OF WEIGHTS)
Total running time 1:29 "I WORK OUT ABOUT AN HOUR-AND-A-HALF TO TWO HOURS A DAY."
  ANDY SAH-MISS WON MANY POWER LIFTING TITLES IN HIS DAY.
Andy Tsamis "I WAS ABLE TO PRESS 4 TO 420 POUNDS."
  NOW ANDY LIFTS TO STAY IN SHAPE. HE SAYS EXERCISE IS KEY TO LIVING A GOOD, HEALTHY LIFE.
  "IT BUILDS A LOT OF CONFIDENCE."

Standup
Vivien Williams
Reporting

BUT EVEN ALL THIS PUMPING IRON COULDN'T KEEP ANDY'S HEART PUMPING WHEN BLOCKED ARTERIES CUT OFF BLOOD SUPPLY TO HIS HEART.

Andy Tsamis
Had Coronary Blockage

"THAT WAS LIKE SOMEONE TOOK A SLEDGEHAMMER AND HIT ME ON TOP OF THE HEAD. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT."
  THREE OF ANDY'S CORONARY ARTERIES WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY BLOCKED. HE'D LIKELY HAVE A HEART ATTACK WITHOUT BYBPASS SURGERY.

Thoralf Sundt III, M.D.
Mayo Clinic Surgeon

"THE CONVENTIONAL WAY TO PERFORM A CORONARY BYPASS IS TO USE THE HEART-LUNG MACHINE."
  DR. THORALF SUNDT THE THIRD SAYS FOR A STANDARD BYPASS OPERATION YOUR HEART IS STOPPED SO DOCTORS CAN WORK ON IT WHILE IT'S STILL. DURING THIS TIME YOUR BLOOD CIRCULATES THROUGH A MACHINE THAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE. BUT NOW, FOR SOME PATIENTS, DR. SUNDT AND HIS TEAM AT MAYO CLINIC PERFORM WHAT'S CALLED AN OFF-PUMP BYPASS. THEY CAN BYPASS BLOCKED ARTERIES WHILE YOUR HEART IS STILL BEATING.

Thoralf Sundt III, M.D.

"WHEN WE DO OFF-PUMP CORONARY BYPASS, WE POSITION THE HEART AND WE USE STABILIZING DEVICES SO THAT THE VESSEL TO WHICH WE ARE SEWING THE NEW GRAFT IS HELD STILL. AND WE CAN PERFORM ONE BYPASS AT A TIME INTERRUPTING FLOW TO JUST THAT REGION OF THE HEART."

Benefits

  • Less stress
  • Faster recovery
BENEFITS MAY INCLUDE LESS PHYSICAL STRESS, AND A FASTER RECOVERY. SO PEOPLE LIKE ANDY CAN GET BETTER. AND STRONGER.
Andy "I FEEL GREAT."
  FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.

Tag: Dr. Sundt says the off-pump bypass may also reduce your chances of memory problems after surgery. But, he says, off-pump bypass is not right for all patients. To find out more talk to your doctor or log on to our Web site at ...

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