The Latest on 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 the decline in those related to lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., claiming more than breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined. Dr. Rachel Medbery, thoracic surgeon who specializes in lung and esophageal cancer, believes that a large [...]
Dr. Foteh and Dr. Kessler’s Quick Thinking and Innovative Treatment Saves Bastrop Man
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 was a ruptured aneurysm in his thoracic aorta. Typical treatment for this involves invasive, open-heart surgery, which could also require a blood transfusion. Dr. Foteh got innovative and used a graft and a laser catheter to create a stent within a stent that literally repaired [...]
Spotlight on Alan Wong
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 he also knows firsthand what it is like to be a heart patient. Dr. Stephen Dewan, a CTVS cardiothoracic surgeon, performed bypass surgery on him in 1999. When not caring for our patients, Alan can also be found underwater as an active volunteer with the [...]
We Heart American Heart Month
February is our favorite month of the year here at Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS) in Austin. We love to show appreciation for our family, friends and patients in honor of American Heart Month. American Heart Month is a nationally designated event each February to bring awareness to and share the power of prevention in combating heart disease. What is heart disease? Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, includes a range of conditions that affect blood vessels, arteries, and heart rhythm. Heart disease also includes congenital heart defects, or those that are present at birth. Some of these conditions can be [...]
What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?
With the start of the new year, everyone is hitting the gym to make good on resolutions to get fit. HIIT-specific workout centers especially are packed right now. HIIT—or high-intensity interval training—combines quick bursts of activity with short rest periods to maximize calorie burn. It’s an effective workout for many, but it’s not without risk for injury. Common injuries as a result of HIIT workouts include muscle or tendon strains, joint dislocations, and fractures. Another serious condition that we are seeing increasingly at CTVS Texas in HIIT devotees is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome? Thoracic Outlet Syndrome [...]
CTVS Physicians Earn Texas Monthly Super Doctors Recognition
We are continuing to enjoy important accolades from the medical community with several of our Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS) physicians earning recognition in Texas Monthly as a 2019 Super Doctor® or Super Doctor® Rising Star. Texas Monthly Super Doctors are selected each year by MSP Communications from across the state via a rigorous multi-step process in a variety of medical specialties. Among the things taken into consideration for this honor are peer recommendations, patient input, and exceptional professional achievement. Our CTVS Super Doctors are: Vascular Jeffrey Apple Phillip Church Mazin Foteh Brannon Hyde Jeffrey Jobe David Nation* John Politz Scott Seidel [...]
Austin Monthly Names Its Top Doctors
At Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons (CTVS), our physicians strive to perform at the top of their game -- providing heartfelt patient care and unparalleled medical expertise-- each and every day. So it is especially rewarding when we are recognized for actually being “Top Doctors” in our local community. Austin Monthly recently named their Top Doctors for 2020, and we are honored to have several of our team members make the list again, including: Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery Stephen J. Dewan Mark C. Felger Eric M. Hoenicke Faraz Kerendi William F. Kessler Vascular Surgery Jeffrey M. Apple Mazin I. Foteh Jeffrey [...]
Convergent Procedure CONVERGE IDE Clinical Trial
Volume 14 - Issue 5 - May 2014 Posted on: 4/23/14 0 Comments 979 reads Start Page: 27 End page: 29 Author(s): Interview by Jodie Elrod In this feature interview we learn more about the multicenter CONVERGE Study, nContact’s randomized IDE Study for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) through a multidisciplinary closed-chest approach. The CONVERGE Study will randomize patients 2:1 between nContact’s epicardial-endocardial Convergent Procedure using the EPi-Sense™-AF guided Coagulation System with VisiTrax® and standalone endocardial ablation using fluid-irrigated catheters. Here EP Lab Digest® speaks with physicians from the first two sites to enroll patients in theCONVERGE Study: [...]
CTVS Surgeons Perform Innovative Heart Surgery
Newer surgery technique eliminates chest scar and reduces recovery time Austin, TX – September 28, 2010 Cardiothoracic surgeons at Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, P.A. (CTVS) now perform minimally-invasive heart surgery to treat heart valve defects. About 95,000 Americans undergo heart valve procedures each year for valve defects, complications caused by congenital defects, aging, deterioration, or an untreated infection. If left untreated, heart valve problems can lead to heart failure or life-threatening cardiomyopathy, a serious disease where the heart muscle becomes weakened and does not function properly. Traditionally, surgeons perform heart valve procedures with "open chest" techniques where they divide the breastbone [...]