When COVID-19 arrived in Austin and our lives were shuttered in mid-March, it was not just work, school and socializing that were put on hold. Important surgeries and many medical procedures that did not meet a very specific criteria were also postponed. Imagine being a patient needing life-saving surgery for cancer and the stress and [...]
In the United States, someone suffers from a stroke every 40 seconds while someone dies every four minutes (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- CDC). This makes stroke one of the leading causes of long-term disability in our country. Yet in a survey (conducted by the CDC), only 38% of people polled [...]
April shines a light on a lesser known cancer that is not often in the headlines, esophageal cancer. Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS) in Austin marks Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month as we aim to educate about this very rare but very serious condition. In 2019, nearly 18,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with [...]
Social distancing is a new concept for many of us right now during our citywide shelter-in-place due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). But for those who are organ transplant patients, social distancing and self-isolation is all too familiar. April is Donate Life Month, and we at Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS) in Austin hold a special [...]
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons’ Dr. Hunter Kirkland was recently featured in a story on KEYE-TV alongside his heart transplant patient Lemeul Bradshaw. Dr. Kirkland is one of our board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons specializing in heart transplantation. Transplant patients are unique in that they live most days of their life -- current Covid-19 crisis or not -- [...]
Patients who are currently undergoing dialysis treatment for kidney failure, or renal disorders, may be interested to know about a new technology that could greatly improve their dialysis access. Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS) in Austin is currently participating in a clinical trial for the VasQ device (from Laminate Medical Technologies). Dialysis treatment helps patients [...]
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer for both men and women and one of the most lethal. While lung cancer cases are declining as a result of decreasing tobacco smoking rates, the American Cancer Association expects in 2020 to see 200,000 new cases to be diagnosed and 135,000 deaths due to lung cancer [...]
There’s great news from the frontlines on the battle against lung cancer. According to experts from the American Cancer Society, cancer death rates in the United States dropped sharply from 2016 to 2017 by approximately 2.2%--this is the biggest single-year drop ever recorded. The decrease in cancer-related deaths is thought largely to be attributed to [...]
Bastrop resident Fulton Smith says he’s lucky to be alive. He credits Dr. David Kessler and Dr. Mazin Foteh for their quick thinking, innovative treatments and for respecting his religious beliefs to not have a blood transfusion during his emergency procedures. Fulton initially suffered a cardiac arrest and it was later discovered that the culprit [...]
Alan Wong is CTVS’ longest-standing employee and has been with us since 1966. We like to say he’s 77-years young, not old! Alan works as a surgical technician assisting our board-certified cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons with complex procedures. He not only understands the delicate and serious nature of heart issues from the medical side, but [...]
