by DrCiuffo | Nov 15, 2022 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery, Dr. Giovanni B Ciuffo, Heart Health, Heart Surgery
10 Tips For Inoperable Heart Disease A diagnosis of inoperable heart disease can be discouraging. A heart condition may be difficult to live with. Minimally invasive bloodless heart surgery may offer options that may not be possible with traditional methods. The treatment options available depend upon several conditions, including your physical health and the scope of experience of the doctors dealing with your case. Dr. Ciuffo is dedicated to finding the solutions that work best for everyone’s individual health journey. By helping you understand inoperable heart disease, you can move forward toward helpful changes. The first step is understanding that your journey will look different from other patients. Get started today to see how we can help you! Inoperable Heart Disease Each patient’s case is decided individually. There are steps you’ll need to take when facing a diagnosis of inoperable heart disease. It’s important not to panic or lose hope. Even if your case isn’t a good candidate for surgical options, many treatments can extend and improve the quality of your life. Ask questions. Request that the medical doctor in charge of your case and your surgeon explain exactly why your case is considered “inoperable.” Be sure to write down the details of their answers. Obtain copies of all of your diagnostic records, including imaging- CAT scans, catheterizations, echocardiograms, EKGs, and other reports. Gather copies of all the reports pertinent to your case, including blood tests and other results. Each of these steps can help you get more information about what is happening. Sometimes answers are more helpful than having to live wondering what will happen next. You should... by DrCiuffo | Aug 10, 2018 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery
Benefits of Bloodless Surgery for the Immune System Bloodless surgery is often considered a choice made by those who cannot receive blood transfusions for religious reasons or due to concerns about blood-borne illnesses, but there are also significant benefits to the immune system. Blood transfusions can have a serious impact on the immune system. Transfusions lower your ability to fight off illness, allergic reactions, and inflammatory responses. Bloodless Surgery Blood transfusions shock the immune system, introducing new elements at a time when the body is already vulnerable. Bloodless surgery reduces the risk of post-op infection, inflammation, and other complications. The recovery rate is much faster with bloodless surgery. This is because the body does not have to deal with the shock of introducing new blood to the system. The cost of bloodless surgery to hospitals is much lower than traditional surgery, and there are far fewer risks involved. Bloodless Heart Surgery Heart surgery is a difficult ordeal for the body to endure. By removing blood transfusions, an element of trauma, from the equation, bloodless heart surgery becomes safer. Consequently, this type of heart surgery is also less challenging for the patient to undergo. Noninvasive heart surgery is a good choice for many candidates. This procedure offers a better recovery rate, fewer infections and allergic reactions, and a lower chance of inflammation. Bloodless Heart Surgery Consultation If you or someone you know are facing heart surgery, Dr. Ciuffo will conduct a full evaluation and to explore the options available to you. Dr. Ciuffo understands the specific needs and concerns of Jehovah’s Witnesses and other people of faith. He will review... by DrCiuffo | Feb 5, 2016 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery
Understanding Bloodless Surgery Have you ever heard of bloodless surgery or bloodless medicine? It is a type of medical procedure/practice that does not rely on the use of blood transfusions during a surgical procedure. While that may sound a little crazy to some, it is completely possible, and is an option for those who choose not to receive blood during a procedure. There are some individuals out there that do not wish to receive any other type of blood during a procedure and bloodless surgery is an alternative to the traditional blood transfusion. Why Bloodless Surgery Has Become an Option There are many individuals who would prefer not to receive a blood transfusions which can be due to safety concerns and/or religious beliefs; doctors and medical teams do understand that and respect any person’s wishes in their healthcare plan. There are many heart surgeon professionals in the field of bloodless medicine and they are capable of increasing one’s quality of life through blood management. Numerous Benefits Many benefits can be reaped through bloodless medicine and many studies have been conducted to show the proof. Generally, those who do not receive blood transfusions do in fact, recover much more quickly from any type of surgical procedure because the body is not working so hard to adjust. Patients will typically experience far less risks/infections that are associated with transfusions and they will also be able to shorten their hospital stay time. The Principles Numerous publications surround the principle of bloodless surgery. There are processes that are endured prior to the surgical procedure such as EPO (erythropoietin)/ iron administration which is utilized... by DrCiuffo | Oct 12, 2015 | Advanced Heart Surgery, Benefits of Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery, Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery
There are many benefits to minimally invasive heart surgery, including shorter recovery time, a lower risk of infection, reduced trauma, reduced pain, almost invisible scars, and less blood loss. There are methods so advanced, that we can eliminate the need for blood transfusions. For people with concerns over blood transfusions, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is potentially life-saving! Dr. Ciuffo is the Director of the Minimally Invasive and Bloodless Heart Surgery program at Mercy Medical Center, so you know that you will be in the absolute best hands with him. Blood Saving Techniques To minimize blood loss, Dr. Ciuffo employs special techniques. These techniques reduce the risk of excessive bleeding during surgery and post-operatively. Surgery is performed through a tiny 2″ incision in the side Use of the heart-lung machine to keep the entire blood volume in circulation Use of beating heart surgery when necessary Use of cell saver/blood salvage machine Removing some of the patient’s blood before surgery and stored until after surgery* Careful cell recycling of blood that is transferred to surgical gauze sponges Controlled surface bleeding with topical hemostatic agents Dilution of blood volume with a saline solution The patient kept with low blood pressure through surgery Intra-operative electro-cautery or argon beam blood vessel coagulation *This method is not used for Jehovah’s Witnesses as blood needs to be stored Schedule A Consultation With Dr. Ciuffo If you or someone who love is in need of heart surgery and considering our low-impact, soft touch approach, get in touch with Dr. Ciuffo today. Our team of experts can help you understand the benefits (and the risks) associated with this surgery... by DrCiuffo | Sep 11, 2015 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery, Jehovah's Witness, Recovery
Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo began providing bloodless heart surgery to patients for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses must abstain from blood transfusions, according to their bible. Now, many more people are interested in bloodless surgery because of its many benefits. Without undergoing a blood transfusion during your surgery, you can be protected from many things — resulting in a quicker and easier recovery. No Blood Transfusions = Better Recovery Bloodless surgery not only helps meet the religious needs of Jehovah’s Witnesses but also provides multiple specific health benefits. A Strong Immune System During your recovery after traditional surgery with a blood transfusion, your immune system becomes weak and less reactive, making it harder to fight infections. Bloodless heart surgery keeps your immune system strong during your recovery. No Allergic Reactions Blood transfusions cause serious effects on our body and our immune system. Sometimes the effects can manifest as severe allergic reactions. By avoiding a transfusion, patients also avoid allergic reactions that can slow down recovery and cause other problems in the body. No Inflammatory Response Some patients see an accumulation of inflammatory fluids in various organs (lungs, kidneys, muscles) and soft tissues after a transfusion. This inflammatory response effectively slows down the recovery period after traditional heart surgery. This does not happen with bloodless patients. Avoid Blood-Borne Viruses While this is not much of a concern with modern blood screening methods, some patients feel more comfortable without the need to worry about blood borne viruses, like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and others. Request A Consultation With Dr. Ciuffo Learn about one of our bloodless heart surgery patients who traveled from Australia to receive this specialty from Dr. Ciuffo.... by DrCiuffo | Aug 14, 2015 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery
Advanced heart surgery can be a life-saving procedure for many individuals. For patients with religious restrictions and other health concerns when it comes to accepting blood transfusions, advanced surgery may not be an options. Fortunately, Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo has developed his minimally invasive techniques for bloodless cardiac surgery. Patients who do not wish or cannot to receive blood transfusions do have options! Bloodless Cardiac Surgery Bloodless surgery is possible by following strict techniques: Careful preparation of each patient – Dr. Ciuffo and his team investigates any medications and other factors that could cause bleeding, then minimizes those factors to reduce the risk. Precise and meticulous technique during surgery – Using cell and blood saving techniques, along with the minimally invasive methods reduce the risk of bleeding and allow for a bloodless surgery. Thorough postoperative follow-up – Patients are closely monitored and given different medications to ensure the return to normal hemoglobin levels quickly. Only very small blood samples are taken for testing. Benefits of Bloodless Cardiac Surgery There are many benefits to bloodless surgery, which is why many patients, regardless of their religious affiliation are choosing it. Bloodless surgery results in the avoidance of potential side effects and complications related to blood transfusions. Follow religious beliefs (typically Jehovah’s Witnesses) Reduce risk of HIV/AIDs, hepatitis, and other blood-borne viruses Avoid allergic reactions Avoid inflammatory reactions Keep immune system strong Recent health studies have confirmed that patients who did not receive a blood transfusion at the time of surgery have better postoperative longevity. Our efforts to pursue bloodless techniques help our patients lengthen and improve their life. Get A Second Opinion If...
