CTVS Celebrates Super Doctors and Top Doctors
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons is proud to share that several of our physicians received important accolades closing out 2024 and ushering in 2025. For several years, our team of cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons has been humbled to receive recognition as Texas Monthly Super Doctors and Austin Monthly Top Doctors. Since the practice opened as one of the first cardiothoracic and vascular specialists in Central Texas more than 65 years ago, our physicians have been dedicated to serving as valuable resources and trusted colleagues to our peers in the medical community as well as treating our patients with the utmost care, [...]
A Runner’s Run-In with Aortic Dissection
An aortic dissection is a very serious, often times fatal, condition that takes place when the inner layers of the aorta (the body’s largest artery) weaken and tear causing blood to “dissect” the aorta into a false lumen & true lumen (very much like a double barrel shotgun). This can affect the entireity of the blood vessel from the heart to the pelvis, as well as important side branches, which could compromise blood supply to the brain, spinal cord, kidneys, intestine, & lower extremities. Fortunately, aortic dissection is rare and occurs in about five to 30 people per every one [...]
Lung cancer as a nonsmoker younger than 40? Yes, as Central Texas woman found out.
CTVS patient, Cherith Satterfield, shared her lung cancer story with Nicole Villalpando from the Austin American Statesman to help raise awareness about the increase in lung cancer cases in young adults. You can read her story below or find it on the Austin American Statesman website here. Every time Cherith Satterfield took a deep breath, she would hear a whistle. The 39-year-old thought she was having seasonal allergies, or maybe it was related to a thyroid problem she had been working on with a doctor. Her lungs sounded normal to her doctor, but she was sent to get an X-ray [...]
How to Avoid Heart Health Risks this Winter
While constant, biting cold weather in the winter months is not typically common in Central Texas, we do get a few snaps of extreme temperatures that send the mercury diving down. Sudden extreme turns in the weather can take a toll on your health, especially your cardiovascular health. Colder weather can cause blood vessels to contract and the circulatory system to work harder, potentially raising blood pressure. In addition, research shows that the number of fatal heart attacks often spikes during the winter months. At CTVS, our team of cardiothoracic and vascular specialists is dedicated to promoting heart health year-round, [...]
How CTVS Treats Diabetes Complications
Diabetes affects millions of Americans. It occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin and process blood sugar properly. If managed well through proper diet and medication, those with diabetes can lead full and active lives. There are however some serious complications commonly associated with diabetes, like cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease). November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and at CTVS we’re sharing ways in which we help treat complications from diabetes that may pose very serious risks to our patients' overall health and well-being. Cardiovascular Disease When diabetes is not properly managed, blood [...]
A Mother’s Battle with Lung Cancer and the Importance of Early Detection
This Thanksgiving, 39-year-old Cherith Satterfield has much to be grateful for as she gathers with her family. The wife, mother of five, three grown and two at home, was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of lung cancer earlier this year. For Cherith, the journey has been a powerful reminder to take your health seriously. A Surprising Diagnosis For nearly a year, Cherith had been battling health issues that kept her in and out of her doctor’s office. She suffered from severe leg pain, swelling and cold sensitivity. Working closely with her primary care doctor, Cherith was diagnosed with [...]
Minimally Invasive Vascular Disease Treatments
Research shows that in recent years almost half of all adults in the United States have been living with heart disease, one of the most prominent forms of vascular disease. Vascular disease affects the body’s vast network of blood vessels, veins and arteries. Common examples of vascular disease are aneurysms (a dangerous bulge in an artery wall), atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), PAD or peripheral artery disease, and coronary and carotid artery diseases (blockages in the main arteries leading to the brain and heart). If left untreated, any of these types of vascular disease can lead to serious issues [...]
Can surgery prevent a stroke?
Did you know that one in four adults will suffer a stroke at some point in their life? A stroke occurs when the carotid arteries, the two main arteries that supply blood to the brain, become narrowed and restrict its flow. This often results from plaque build-up within the arteries known as carotid disease. Stroke can have serious consequences, such as suffering permanent brain damage, a physical disability or paralysis, or even death. At CTVS, our team of board-certified vascular specialists are experts in the surgical prevention of stroke and dedicated to raising awareness about the condition, which is the [...]
CTVS Treats Heart Failure with Expanded Team
Heart failure is a chronic condition that occurs when the heart can no longer operate efficiently on its own, or effectively pump blood throughout the body. Signs of heart failure may include difficulty breathing, a racing heartbeat/heart palpitations, fatigue, or unexplained swelling. If left untreated, this condition can prove life-threatening. Most people would assume that heart failure typically affects seniors, but younger people can suffer from it too. A study conducted over the years of 2012 to 2019 shows the rate of death due to heart failure in those aged 16 to 44 years old actually increased. With the cases [...]
The link between high blood pressure and aortic aneurysms
An aortic aneurysm is a very serious condition that occurs when the aorta (the largest artery in the body that comes off the heart) develops a bulb-like formation. If the aneurysm is not treated appropriately, it can rupture or lead to an aortic dissection, causing blood to dangerously leak out of the aorta and prove life-threatening. Factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol can accelerate aortic atherosclerotic disease, which can lead to an aortic aneurysm. As September is Aortic Disease Awareness Month, and our team of cardiothoracic experts knows a thing or two about aortic aneurysms, we’re sharing [...]