"Because of the
scarcity of available organs, the Montefiore-Einstein Heart Center is
looking at new ways for heart disease patients to go on living with
their own hearts. This is a paradigm shift in the way we approach the
failing heart," says Daniel Goldstein, MD, Surgical Director of the
heart Transplant and Mechanical Assist Device Program.
On Thursday, November 13th at 7:00pm on
or-live/montefiore/2478 Montefiore-Einstein Heart
Center will follow its award winning live webcast of a Heart
Transplant with a live panel discussion about an implant of a heart
pump or Left Ventricular Assist Device. "Basically, we are installing
a pump in the body that will take over the function of the diseased
heart that can no longer adequately supply the body with the blood it
needs. We attach a tube from the left VENTRICLE to the pump. The pump
then forces the blood through another tube that is attached to the
aorta. From there, the blood is dispersed through the circulatory
system by the force of the pump," explains Dr. Goldstein.
Along with the new pump this particular patient is also participating
in an experimental program that includes high doses of the drug
Clenbuterol. This muscle-growth therapy has resulted in dramatic
improvement in some patients. "Given that there are over 150,000
people with advanced heart failure in the United States each year and
only 2,000 available hearts for transplant, we are forced to look for
alternatives. Although the heart pump was originally designed as a
bridge to transplant, we have discovered pump-assisted hearts can
sometimes begin to repair themselves. It then made sense to begin
looking for therapies that can accelerate this process. At
Montefiore-Einstein Heart Center, we're the only institution in the
Northeast participating in a study that involves giving high doses of
Clenbuterol to patients on a particular Assist Device. This therapy
showed great promise in the U.K., sometimes resulting in the eventual
removal of the pump and restoration of normal heart function," says
Simon Maybaum, MD, Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Program.
The panel will be composed of Simon Maybaum, MD and David
D'Alessandro, MD. It will be moderated by Daniel Goldstein, MD. The
doctors will review video of the Ventricular Assist Device surgery
performed by Dr. Goldstein and also discuss the patient's progress in
the study. During the webcast, the viewing audience will be able to
send live email questions to the doctors.
The staff at Montefiore-Einstein Heart Center would like to cordially
invite everyone to consider organ donation. As Dr. Goldstein said in
accepting his Webby award, "Don't take your organs to heaven."
To learn more about heart disease and view a preview for this program
visit OR-Live
Source
Bryan Kooharian
OR-Live, Inc.
OR-Live