Veterans Day has always been an important occasion for us at CTVS for a trio of reasons. First of all, a few of our original practice founders were veterans. Secondly, a number of our present patients are also veterans and finally, three of our current surgeons have had long and distinguished careers in the military [...]
Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer among men and women in the United States, accounting for about one in every four cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. For this reason, CTVS supports November’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month in hopes of bringing both the disease's symptoms and the positive effects of early [...]
75-year-old Lee Frissell was an NYU professor when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. His office was just one block from the Twin Towers and he saw every detail of that day. After the attack, Lee continued to work in that same area for 15 years. Due to continuous exposure to [...]
Stroke strikes roughly 13 million people each year in this country, and unfortunately around 5.5 million people will die as a result. That’s approximately one out of every 4 adults who are affected. Today stroke also is the leading cause of disability worldwide. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted resulting [...]
Loss of a limb can be both physically and mentally traumatic. Unfortunately it is often necessary to save a patient’s life. Amputation of a limb may be needed when there is serious infection, a wound that won’t heal, or poor circulation (typically in the legs) that causes tissue to die. Lower leg ischemia is the [...]
No one is more proud than us at CTVS when our physicians share their expertise and skills beyond our practice to improve the health and well-being of so many others. Dr. Jonathan Yang, one of our board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons, serves as surgical director of the advanced heart failure program at Heart Hospital of Austin where [...]
If you have unexplained leg pain or wounds to your feet or toes that struggle to heal, you could be suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease, or PAD. PAD is when the arteries of the legs or other extremities become narrow or clogged leading to poor circulation. 10 million Americans currently suffer from PAD, according to [...]
Because of its commonly recognized respiratory symptoms -- heavy coughing and difficulty breathing -- the most severely damaged part of the body following a bout of COVID-19 was thought to be the lungs, until now. A small study recently conducted in Germany and profiled in JAMA-Cardiology reveals that the effects of COVID-19 on the heart following [...]
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, happens when the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly instead of beating effectively to move blood into the ventricles. This irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. What are the surgical treatments for AFib? The two most common surgical treatments for [...]
Smartwatches can track everything from steps taken to sleep habits, and now they may even be able to detect a dangerous heart condition. A recent study from the Cleveland Clinic suggests that smartwatches (specifically the Apple Watch 4) were able to identify instances of atrial fibrillation (AFib), or an irregular heartbeat/arrhythmia. The research was conducted [...]
