Catheter-Based Heart Surgery
Traditional open heart surgery remains the preferred method to repair many heart defects, according to Dr. Scott Burke, Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne. But, he states, minimally invasive procedures using catheters are gaining ground. In many cases, these methods reduce the risk of complications and shorten recovery time. Also, catheter-based procedures are allowing physicians to offer some of these procedures on older, sicker and higher-risk patients.
Many patients are able to live longer with a better quality of life. "Ninety is the new eighty for many cardiac patients" states Dr. Burke. He continues, "Many patients had no surgical options for these conditions because of their very high surgical risk. Now, catheter-based interventions will allow them a better quality of life and in some cases a longer life." Even better, federal and medical guidelines are allowing these newer methods to be used on a wider population of patients, so more are being given choices when it comes to improving cardiac health.
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