| |
Hazim J. Safi, M.D.
|
|
Houston, Texas, November 8, 2004 – Physicians and interested health care consumers around the world will have the opportunity to observe as renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Hazim J. Safi, M.D., performs a complex thoracoabdominal aneurysm (TAA) repair live on the Internet on Wed., Nov. 17.
The live surgical Webcast from Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center is the first of its kind in Houston and can be viewed at
www.or-live.com/memorialhermann/1234.
|
| |
"TAA repair
is one of the most extreme surgeries that the human body can tolerate," said Dr. Safi, Chairman and Chief of the
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at The
University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "Because the aneurysm involves
the portion of the aorta that is in the chest as well as the portion
that is located in the abdomen, the patient is almost literally cut
in half." Over the past decade, Dr. Safi and his team have refined
their innovative technique for surgically repairing life-threatening
TAAs, dramatically reducing the risk of paralysis.
An aneurysm is
a ballooning or bulging of an artery and is most common in the aorta,
the body's main artery. While some individuals
notice telltale signs like shortness of breath or back pain, aortic
aneurysms are nicknamed the "silent killer", because most
people experience no symptoms in advance of life-threatening ruptures.
- More than 10,000 Americans die from ruptured aortic
aneurysms each
year, and at least another 100,000 are diagnosed before rupture,
typically as the result of an imaging procedure. According to the
American
Heart Association (AHA), the incidence of aneurysms has
substantially increased in recent decades. Surgery is the only recognized
effective treatment.
A variety of factors may contribute to development of aneurysms,
including genetics, cholesterol deposits, and environmental conditions
such as blunt trauma.
As people age and
their blood vessels lose elasticity, aneurysms become more common.
"Everyone older than 40 should be screened for aneurysms," Dr. Safi
said.
The procedure to be performed on Nov. 17 will involve resection of
a thoracoadominal aneurysm and replacement of the compromised arterial
tissue with a Dacron/polyester graft. Post-surgical patients usually
remain hospitalized for one to two weeks and enjoy a normal life span.
A catheter, inserted at the beginning of the procedure to drain spinal
fluid, relieves pressure that is created during the surgery and reduces
the risk of post-surgical paralysis. Surgical methods, refined by Dr.
Safi and his team since 1992, have dramatically reduced the incidence
of paralysis from 15 percent to less than 3 percent.
Serving as the online moderator during the live webcast surgery program
will be Steve Allen, M.D., medical director for Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Dr. Allen will also receive e-mailed questions from viewers worldwide
and relay them to Dr. Safi who will answer selected, appropriate inquiries
during the surgery. Archived streaming video of the procedure will
be available for at least one year after the live program, and Dr.
Safi and his team will continue to answer e-mailed questions for one
week following the surgery.
"This webcast
from Memorial Hermann Hospital is an opportunity for viewers to be educated
and informed about a life-saving technique
that few have mastered from the dedicated and expert medical team that
refined it." Allen said.
For
more information, contact Media Relations.
|
