CTVS 1st in Texas to Use TREO Device For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS) has been making history for decades as pioneers performing several important first-ever medical procedures here in Central Texas. CTVS board-certified vascular surgeon Dr. Mazin Foteh is now the first in our region to use the Terumo TREO implant device to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms. Abdominal aortic aneurysms form when the blood vessels in the abdomen that supply blood to the heart become enlarged and have the potential to burst and cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Most of the time, these aneurysms can be difficult to detect as symptoms are often slow to appear and typically mild. [...]
Dialysis Patients Urged Not to Delay Treatment Due to COVID-19
Dialysis Patients Urged Not to Delay Treatment Due to COVID-19 CTVS wants to remind patients that we are still performing essential vascular surgical procedures associated with dialysis treatment to all those suffering from kidney failure or End Stage Renal Disease. Dialysis and hemodialysis treatments use medical equipment to take over the filtration of blood and other fluids when kidneys are functioning poorly. Poor kidney function is often due to issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, heart disease, or extreme dehydration. We want to stress that it is important not to delay any essential evaluation or procedures for [...]
Celebrating the Dewan Duo on Father’s Day
Inside CTVS, you'll find two Dr. Dewans: Dr. Stephen Dewan is a cardiothoracic surgeon who has been with the practice since 1988. Dr. Brendan Dewan, Stephen's son, joined the practice exactly 30 years later in 2018. It is not uncommon for a child to follow in their parents’ footsteps when choosing a profession -- even cardiothoracic surgery, which ranks as one of the most competitive fields of medicine. As medical lingo often peppered dinner conversation when the Dewan children were young (their mom Diane, is a physician assistant), it was likely that at least one of them would be interested [...]
Five Tips to Prevent DVT on Your Summer Road Trip
After several months cooped up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and out of current fears of flying, many people are looking to hit the open road and travel by car for their summer vacation. “While traveling in your own personal car may help you avoid the virus en route to your destination, it is not without its own hazards,” says CTVS’ board-certified vascular surgeon Dr. David Nation. “Sitting in a car, or anywhere, for long periods of time can promote poor venous circulation, especially in the legs, and lead to a serious condition known as DVT, or Deep Vein Thrombosis.” [...]
Patient Story: Back on Track to Travel the World With a Little Help from Dr. Fortes
Kay Garcia McAnally and her husband, Conor, have been married 30 years. They're avid travelers and go to Europe twice a year where they have a second home in Ireland. So when Kay was sidelined due to her serious condition -- an elevated diaphragm -- they were both devastated. An elevated diaphragm occurs when one half of the diaphragm is paralyzed. The diaphragm is the most important muscle during inspiration. When it contracts the abdominal contents are forced downward and forward increasing the size of the chest cavity and allowing more air into the lungs. When paralyzed, however, the diaphragm [...]
Newer, less invasive procedure can help prevent a stroke
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States according to the American Stroke Association. Most strokes are caused by a buildup of plaque that cause blockages in the brain, and how quickly you receive treatment plays a large part in your ability to recover. CTVS board certified vascular surgeon Dr. Mazin Foteh was recently featured in a story on KXAN about a newer, less invasive procedure that can prevent a stroke from happening in patients that have a known blockage. TransCarotid Artery Revascularization, or TCAR, allows surgeons to access the carotid artery through a small incision just [...]
Cancer Surgery In the Time of COVID-19
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 anxiety of being told to ‘wait it out’ before you could have a growing tumor removed? This describes the roller coaster of emotions many of our cancer patients at CTVS in Austin had to endure over the past several weeks as government and medical organizations [...]
Can you spot the signs of a stroke?
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 were unaware of major stroke symptoms beyond the most common one of numbness on one side of the body. May is American Stroke Month, so we want to ensure that everyone recognizes the symptoms of a stroke and knows what to do in the event [...]
April Aims to Educate About Esophageal Cancer
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 esophageal cancer (National Cancer Institute). Sadly, for more than 16,000 of those patients, the disease proved fatal. It is also routinely listed as one of the top ten most dangerous forms of cancer. “Esophageal cancer can be a hard one to detect with relatively mild [...]
Donate Life Month: Why Transplant Patients Have a Leg Up on Social Distancing
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 place in our hearts for and honor all the grateful transplant patients and their selfless organ donors with whom they are forever linked. According to Donate Life America, another person is added to the waiting list for an organ transplant every 10 minutes in the [...]