Nov 7, 2009 9:05 am US/Eastern
Study Questions Safety Of Beating Heart Surgery
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A just-published study is creating doubts about an approach known as beating heart surgery.
CBS
A procedure created to reduce a patient's risks is being suspected of increasing them.
Healthwatch reporter Kellye Lynn says new research is questioning the safety of a commonly used approach to bypass surgery.
The just-published study is creating doubts about an approach known as beating heart surgery.
One week ago, Mildred Hutschenreuter went under the knife. Three of her arteries were blocked, and doctors had to operate.
"It seemed to turn out OK. Better than I expected," said Hutschenreuter.
Hutschenreuter's doctor performed the heart bypass without the use of a heart-lung machine. It's a pump that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs.
'In the experienced hands, I think off-pump is even better than on-pump," said Dr. Drew Kirshner, Union Memorial Hospital.
Off-pump bypass surgery took off about seven years ago with the thought that it led to fewer strokes, memory problems and faster recovery.
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The heart-lung machine was felt to be a source of stroke, bleeding and loss of cognitive function, the ability to focus and do complex tasks," said Dr. Michael Fiocco, Union Memorial Hospital.
But now, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates on-pump surgery is comparable to or even safer than off-pump.
The researchers analyzed 2,200 patients. A year after surgery, 2.7 percent of the beating heart patients died compared to only 1.3 percent of those connected to a heart-lung machine.
Ten percent of patients who were off-pump experienced problems like stroke, heart attack or the need for follow-up surgery compared to seven percent of those on the pump.
"We ought to be looking at it more closely to see if we see the same things they are," said Fiocco.
Union Memorial doctors perform at least 80 percent of their heart bypass procedures off-pump.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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