When one thinks of obesity's harm to the heart, it's usually clogged arteries. But being fat can impair the heart's pumping action: heart failure. The heart fails to pump the amount of blood it's supposed [...]
Wondering if your risk of deep vein thrombosis goes up if you must wear a cast or a splint? “Any kind of immobility, which slows down the blood flow in the legs, will increase the [...]
The common-held belief among physicians is that pulmonary embolism is always from a DVT, a blood clot that forms in the legs or pelvis. The DVT may break away and end up in a lung, [...]
Is deep vein thrombosis from air travel exaggerated? DVT from long air travel times is not likely in healthy people, says the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). The IQWiG reveals [...]
What’s better for coronary bypass surgery: a vein from your leg or an artery from your arm? In coronary bypass surgery (aka CABG), the saphenous vein from the leg is typically used for the grafting [...]
Stroke is a real risk during and following coronary bypass surgery -- which may be on or off pump. There are actually four kinds of CABG, but which one has the lowest risk of stroke? [...]
Can angiogram, bypass surgery and valve replacement be done in the same day? And if so, how life-threatening could this trio be? Coronary angiogram, coronary bypass surgery with heart valve replacement, all in the same [...]
The heart-lung machine used in coronary bypass surgery is a two-edged sword. The cognitive problems that are associated with it have led to the name "pump-head" to describe some patients who -- seemingly -- are [...]
If you need bypass surgery you might wonder about having it done without the heart lung machine and instead with the "beating heart" procedure. The absence of the heart lung machine is called off-pump or [...]
How much sleep should you get during recovery from coronary bypass surgery? A healthy amount of sleep is so very important following CABG: coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. “Most patients have difficulty returning to their [...]
Can thyroid levels be affected by heart bypass surgery? The thyroid controls metabolism. And metabolism is a lot more than how many calories per hour your body burns at rest. "Metabolism is the process by [...]
Why don’t more heart surgeons perform off-pump (beating heart) surgery? Off-pump heart surgery carries less risk of stroke and other serious issues when compared to on-pump heart surgery (i.e., operations that use the heart-lung, or [...]
How long do the grafts from coronary bypass surgery last if the patient continues eating a junk food diet? Is coronary bypass surgery a green light to continue eating a junk food diet, and how long [...]
Can orthostatic hypotension be caused by coronary bypass surgery? If you’re wondering if orthostatic hypotension can be caused by coronary bypass surgery, you’re not alone. “Hypotension after surgery is a common problem and takes several [...]
Does the heart lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass) affect sense of taste? The heart lung machine is used during cardiac surgery so that the surgeon can make repairs on a completely still heart (no pumping), but [...]
Here's what goes on the day you're told a family member needs emergency quintuple bypass surgery after an angiogram shows severe blockages in five major coronary arteries. My mother was wheeled into the OR for [...]
Depression after heart bypass surgery isn't just about feeling depressed over clogged arteries, but the depression can have other related causes. How expected or common is depression after coronary bypass surgery? The University of Pittsburgh [...]
Here's what to expect hours after quintuple bypass surgery -- and it's not pretty. Forget what you've seen on TV shows; expect the patient to look hideous. My mother underwent emergent quintuple bypass surgery; we had [...]
After coronary bypass surgery, what exactly does the patient look like? What should family members expect to see when they walk into the ICU where the patient just arrived after undergoing coronary bypass surgery? There [...]
Coronary bypass surgery is actually becoming more and more common in very old people. Thousands of people in their 90s have had heart bypass surgery, also known as CABG. People over 90 Years of Age [...]
An elderly person suffers a heart attack and undergoes coronary bypass surgery. How long are they expected to survive on average? Is the bypass surgery even worth it for a very elderly person? Heart bypass surgery [...]
Here's a no-nonsense way to outright prevent gaining weight no matter how stressful your caregiving tasks are, no matter how demanding your charge is. I’m an exercise and fitness enthusiast, and former personal trainer, who [...]
Why do the grown kids of the super morbidly obese who can't even walk across a room keep bringing them giant portions of junk food? Bringing enormous amounts of food to one’s 900 pound parent [...]
Why don’t TLC shows about massively obese people confined to bed ever explore why their family members keep bringing them food? Over the past several years there’s been quite a few TLC programs focusing on people [...]
Are you at risk of ever becoming an enabler to a family member who eventually gets so super morbidly obese that they can barely get out of bed or are even confined to bed? They [...]
It’s been said that the super morbidly obese person is skilled at “manipulating” their enabler or caregiver. What makes someone continuously bring huge amounts of unhealthy food to their loved-one who’s so obese that they’re [...]
Whey protein may be a safe, cheap way to lower high blood pressure, a possible alternative to drugs that have side effects. Lowering high blood pressure means cutting down on stroke and heart disease risk. [...]
What are the symptoms of LOW blood pressure, how dangerous is this and how is it treated? “Many people have ‘low’ blood pressure and are perfectly healthy,” says Susan L. Besser, MD, with Mercy Medical [...]
A leading aortic aneurysm repair surgeon answers if pull-ups are safe for patients to perform. People who are diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm are typically warned that they must avoid straining with heavy weights. This [...]
Are you fed up with the vague, non-descript guidelines of weightlifting for thoracic aortic aneurysm? Finally, here are guidelines that you can make sense out of. A diagnosis of a thoracic aortic aneurysm doesn't mean [...]
A leading aortic disease surgeon explains about aortic aneurysm and high intensity interval training cardio. If you’ve been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and have always been a fitness enthusiast, you’re likely wondering if high [...]
Dr. Allen Stewart, aortic repair surgeon, comments on safe weightlifting techniques for people with aortic aneurysm. Aortic aneurysm: safe weight lifting techniques – there are several. When a fitness enthusiast is told he or she [...]
A cardiologist gives imaging information about following an aortic aneurysm. If you’ve been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, perhaps you’ve been wondering what is the most accurate imaging tool for which to “follow” it. Whether [...]
A leading vascular surgeon discusses beta blockers can shrink an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Many people with abdominal (and thoracic) aortic aneurysms wonder if taking beta blockers will shrink the bulge. A beta blocker belongs to [...]
A vascular surgeon who performs aortic repairs answers if weightlifting can cause aortic dilatation. “With regard to aortic dilatation in athletes, these kind of exercises (lifting weights) do in fact, over a long period of [...]
In plain English, here are the pros and cons of endovascular vs. open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, described by a vascular surgeon. This article describes in plain English endovascular vs. surgical repair of abdominal [...]
A vascular surgeon explains the reasons why stent grafts are not the solution for ascending aortic aneurysms. Perhaps you already know that stent graft repair of descending and abdominal aortic aneurysm is the repair procedure [...]
If you do not do consistent structured exercise, your risk of developing an aortic aneurysm, when all other things are equal, is higher than if you were to stick to a regular exercise regimen. Here [...]
A vascular surgeon comments on aortic aneurysm, and losing one’s temper and blood pressure rise. According to one investigation, there is a strong link between aortic dissection (from pre-existing aneurysm) and extreme emotional stress—which would include [...]
A vascular surgeon discusses the obscurity of research involving lifting weights with an aortic aneurysm. The restrictions for lifting weights in people with an aortic aneurysm are, quite literally, all over the map. It’s like [...]
