What You Should Know About Heart Health After COVID-19
As the world starts to return to normal following the pandemic, it’s important for anyone who suffered from COVID-19, even a mild case, to listen to their heart. Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States with roughly one person dying every 36 seconds from it. Sadly, that number is expected to increase following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. CTVS board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. W. Chance Conner says this increase can be attributed to two things. “Many people with heart problems did not seek medical attention last year out of fear of going to [...]
How Dr. Foteh and Effective PAD Treatment Kept This Unicyclist Cycling
Riding a unicycle requires skill, coordination, balance, and above all else, the use of both legs. Imagine being passionate about your hobby of unicycling and facing the loss of a leg to amputation due to a vascular condition known as PAD, or peripheral artery disease. This scenario was one that CTVS patient Duane Campbell--an avid unicyclist--faced five years ago. He experienced intense leg pain and cramping for months to the point where he could barely walk the length of his driveway. He chalked it up to muscle strain from unicycling. Eventually the pain became unbearable, so Duane went to his [...]
Think FAST to Recognize the Signs of Stroke
Last year, stroke cases were down nearly 40% due to fear of going to the hospital amid the pandemic. Yet there were still more than 159,000 deaths reported due to this common and sometimes deadly medical emergency that occurs when blood supply to the brain is blocked or a blood vessel in the brain bursts or hemorrhages. Every 40 seconds in the United States, someone has a stroke. If action is not taken immediately, there can be irreversible damage to the brain or even death in extreme cases. At CTVS, our team of board-certified vascular surgeons has been dedicated to [...]
Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month and How Dr. Medbery says Early Detection is the Key to Fighting It
Esophageal cancer can be a) very rare, b) sometimes fatal, or c) successfully treated if found early. All of the above are correct here. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 19,000 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and from those, nearly 15,000 unfortunately could prove fatal. With April being Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month, CTVS hopes to change that trajectory of estimated deaths to successfully treated cases, one patient at a time. CTVS surgeons can treat esophageal cancer, which occurs in the lining of the esophagus and connects the throat to the stomach. Because of [...]
Celebrating Donate Life Month and the Need for Organ Donation
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, the number of organ transplants performed in 2020 was 39,034. That number decreased from 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and strict mandates placed on many surgical procedures for a large part of the year, including transplants. With a renewed sense of hope and a gradual return to normalcy for 2021, organ donation and the number of life-saving transplants performed should rebound. At CTVS, we are committed to sharing the importance of organ donation now more than ever, and especially during April as it is National Donate Life Month. National Donate Life [...]
Why Limb Preservation Matters
Facing a limb amputation can be scary and overwhelming. Many times, these amputations are the result of preventable health conditions, including vascular disease, and specifically diabetes. However, without proper medical management, we will continue to see hundreds of amputations performed each day in the United States. If the thought of living without a leg isn't bad enough, unfortunately the long-term outcomes for people who have an amputation are very poor. Over half of people with diabetes who have a lower extremity amputation will require amputation of the other leg within 2 to 3 years. Even more concerning, almost half of [...]
What’s the link between a vascular surgeon and spinal fusion surgery?
Vascular surgeons are experts in the diseases and conditions of arteries and veins and all major blood vessels of the body except those of the heart and brain. Our expertise is in mobilizing, removing, repairing, and replacing these vessels. CTVS has been providing vascular services in Central Texas for more than 65 years. Vascular surgeons are also asked to assist many other surgical specialists with their operations because of the proximity or association of the major blood vessels with the organs our colleagues are operating on. Those specialists often include urologists, gynecologists, surgical oncologists, general surgeons, head and neck surgeons, [...]
Your Most Common Vascular Questions Answered
CTVS has been the “go-to” expert for vascular disease in Central Texas for more than 65 years. Vascular disease and vascular health are often unfamiliar to some people. What part of the body or system do they refer to? Is it the same as cardiovascular health? What type of doctor treats vascular conditions? The vascular system, also known as the circulatory system, is an intricate web of blood vessels, veins, and arteries that carry blood to your heart and transport it throughout the body. (The cardiovascular system includes the heart muscle and its immediately surrounding veins and vessels.) Your vascular [...]
Why one heart transplant patient wants you to listen to your body
February is American Heart Month, and here is a story that is close to ours about a very special patient who is paying his good fortune forward. Dr. Jeff Zapalac (a retired orthodontist) started experiencing very mild symptoms that seemed to be affecting his heart, including difficulty breathing and exercising. While he initially attributed that to his older age, he also had a gut feeling that something else might be wrong. His cardiologist diagnosed him with a condition called amyloidosis, or “stiff heart syndrome.” It is a potentially deadly form of heart disease that occurs when amyloid (or abnormal) proteins [...]
Lung Damage Complications in COVID-19 Survivors
As we near the year mark of the COVID-19 battle, doctors and surgeons are still learning about the virus and the potential long-term health concerns COVID survivors may endure. We know people with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms varying from mild to severe, and now physicians are reporting some patients’ lungs look worse than the lungs of people who have been smoking for years. Thoracic surgeon Rachel Medbery, M.D. recently shared what she is seeing firsthand when treating COVID survivors with lung damage on Fox 7 Austin and The List. What lung complications are COVID survivors experiencing? [...]