by DrCiuffo | Jan 14, 2015 | Blog, Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
If you or a loved one is in need of heart surgery and you are researching your options — minimally invasive techniques are an extremely viable and popular option. Dr. Ciuffo is at the forefront of this evolving medical field, and has practiced minimally invasive cardiac techniques for over 15 years, giving his patients the best results. One of the major benefits of minimally invasive heart surgery is how quickly our patients recover, compared with traditional open heart surgery patients’ recovery times. Why Recovery Is Quicker Traditional Heart Surgery Recovery With traditional heart surgery, the chest is opened by a two to five inch horizontal and vertical incisions in the skin and muscle of the chest, then the breast bone is broken so that the surgeon can reach the heart. After surgery, patients have to stay in the hospital three to eight days. After discharge, recovery can last anywhere from four to eight weeks while the bone fully heals. Activities are very restricted. The incision scars will be large and very noticeable. This can usually last significantly longer for patients who are older and may be frail. Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Recovery With minimally invasive heart surgery, there is no need for dramatic cutting of the skin and bone. Dr. Ciuffo uses a small, typically 2-inch incision between the ribs or under the breast. Dr. Cuffo uses long, thin tools to reach the area of the heart that surgery is needed (see tools in the photo above). After surgery, patients typically stay in the hospital for two to three days. Recovery at home usually lasts for two weeks before patients can return... by DrCiuffo | Dec 19, 2014 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery, Dr. Giovanni B Ciuffo, Heart Surgery, Inoperable Heart Surgery Patients, Jehovah Witnesses, Jehovah's Witness
After being diagnosed with a rare, considered inoperable, tumor in the left ventricle of her heart and given only a few months to live, 26-year old Australian Madalyn Copcutt was not ready to give up on her life. Her tumor was considered inoperable because of her status as a Jehovah’s Witnesses and she would not be able to accept blood transfusions. The newlywed traveled over 11,000 miles to see expert cardiac surgeon, Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo at the Mercy Cardiovascular Institute (MCI) who is the Medical Director of Mercy’s Minimally Invasive and Bloodless Heart Surgery program. Even after all surgeons in Perth concluded that her surgery would not be possible, Dr. Ciuffo performed the bloodless heart surgery on October 31 at Mercy Medical Center and Madalyn was discharged on November 3, with all positive results indicating the tumor removal was successful. Read more about Madalyn’s surgery at the Mercy Medical Center in the Akron Beacon Journal and on Mercy’s own blog. Dr. Ciuffo’s Mission For Bloodless Surgery Dr. Ciuffo has stated that he’s “made it his mission to do bloodless surgery,” citing that his experience shows patients who do not take blood transfusions live longer and do better than traditional heart surgery patients. Dr. Ciuffo’s complex cardiothoracic experience ranges 15 years with operations for over 500 Jehovah’s Witnesses and hundreds of patients from all over the world. Contact Dr. Ciuffo For Bloodless Inquiries If you are a Jehovah’s Witnesses looking for bloodless surgery, or anyone with an interest in the minimally invasive and bloodless techniques Dr. Ciuffo employs, please call his office (330) 363-1341 at or contact him... by DrCiuffo | Dec 5, 2014 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery, Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
Last week, the headlines were full of speculations about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s health and her heart surgery procedure that she underwent to put a stent in her right coronary artery at the MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute in D.C. Heart Surgery For Justice Ginsburg While Justice Ginsburg has been dealing with speculation about her health and age for many years after fighting cancer and the media, there is no doubt that she is an active, robust 81-year old! Some older or unhealthy (i.e. cancer diagnosis, other health issues) individuals are labeled “high-risk” or “inoperable” cardiovascular patients because of the issues related to traditional heart surgery, including broken ribs, slow recovery time, and healing problems. Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Dr. Ciuffo’s techniques help make life-saving heart surgery available to all people, no matter their age or health. Minimally invasive and bloodless surgery techniques are great options for cardiovascular patients who need to take more caution when undertaking any surgical experience. Minimally invasive techniques eliminate the need to make giant incisions along a patients chest and break the ribs and sternum, reducing the need for long, agonizing recovery times. Typically, minimally invasive patients can return to normal activity in a matter of days. Blood saving heart surgery techniques minimize the need for blood transfusions which can cause allergic reactions and also slow healing times for patients. Bloodless surgery is also the surgery of choice for Jehovah Witnesses, who cannot accept blood transfusions due to their religious beliefs. Request A Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Consultation Today If you’re interested in receiving a cardiovascular consultation, because of a “high-risk” or “inoperable” original diagnosis, or... by DrCiuffo | Oct 31, 2014 | Blog, Coronary Surgery, Heart Surgery, Inoperable Coronary Disease
Inoperable Coronary Patient The two most important questions asked by an inoperable coronary patient: What makes a coronary patient inoperable? How can we improve on our surgical solutions to save the life of an inoperable coronary patient? Once you know the basic technical challenges, inoperable coronary patients will understand the solutions we have developed in these surgery cases. New technologies have made the difference for so many heart patients that were otherwise hopeless and inoperable. A coronary artery bypass operation clears the pathway for blood on blocked coronary arteries. A pathway is directly connected between the aorta and a spot on the coronary artery downstream from where the blockage occurs. If steps in this surgical process can’t be carried out within certain standards, your local doctor may not be able to offer you this life-saving operation, referring to this as, “inoperable”. That’s where we come in. Solutions for Inoperable Coronary Patients If the aorta is heavily calcified: We re-route the blood supply through internal mammary arteries avoiding “cracking”. If there are not enough veins or arteries: We can graft, harvest, and replace new perfectly healthy tissues from elsewhere. If the coronary vessels are too severely and diffusely diseased: We can double graft the tissue to eliminate blockages or use a technology called endoarterectomy where we remove plaque from clogged tissue. If the patient is deemed to old or fragile: We believe that age, frailty should not determine your quality of life or your medical choices! If the patient has patient has bad lungs, bad kidneys, bad liver and/or has had a prior open heart operation: We use beating heart... 
by DrCiuffo | Oct 21, 2014 | Articles, Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Surgery
Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement Following Barbara Walters’ surgery to treat her aortic valve stenosis, Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement surgery became a more popular term. Her issue was caused by a very common and frequently mistreated heart valve disease in the elderly population of the United States. There is a bias against operating on elderly patients in this country which often denies life-saving procedures on otherwise functional and sharp minded senior citizens. Aortic valve stenosis is a deadly disease that requires immediate attention, and Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo has the experience, skill, and will to help families. What Is Aortic Stenosis? Aortic Stenosis is a condition that causes the aortic valve to be too narrow. This forces your heart to work extra hard to push adequate amounts of fresh oxygenated blood against a tight, barely opening valve. Mechanically speaking, a heart with aortic stenosis develops a much higher internal pressure to assure the same pumping action and output of a normal heart. The risks of this condition can be chest pain, lack of breath, troubled breathing, heart attack, stroke, and death. Why Choose Dr. Ciuffo? Dr. Ciuffo’s experienced staff, dedicated team, and professional surgical experience set him apart from the crowd. His experience with minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is profound. His focus is on skillful surgery, quick recovery, and patient health. The vast majority of our patients are ready to go home in two or three days with specific arrangements for a visiting nurse and physical therapy service. We would be delighted to answer your questions and receive your comments and suggestions. Contact us directly at the office to discuss any specific... by DrCiuffo | Sep 14, 2014 | Blog, Bloodless Heart Surgery, Heart Surgery
Why Bloodless Heart Surgery Bloodless Heart Surgery is one of the most important aspects of the techniques developed for cardiovascular minimally invasive heart surgery patients. There are many reasons why cardiovascular patients choose bloodless heart surgery, including: due religious beliefs (typically Jehovah’s Witnesses) concern over HIV/AIDs, hepatitis, and other blood-borne viruses to avoid allergic reactions to avoid inflammatory reactions to keep the immune system strong By using the bloodless techniques (including minimally invasive heart surgery), patients can avoid the risks outlined above and maintain their immune systems level of strength. 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. Bloodless Preparation and Technique Preparation is extremely important prior to bloodless heart surgery. We will work together to adjust medications to boost a patient’s red blood cell creation and investigate any spontaneous bleeding. A surgical strategy is meticulously planned to minimize the risk of bleeding during the surgery. During surgery, blood-sparing techniques and technologies are employed and modified based on the surgical strategy developed prior to surgery, as well as the patient’s beliefs and preferences. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques avoid breast bone cutting which increases the chances of post-operative bleeding. To learn more about the specific techniques including using the extracorporeal circulation technique, beating heart technique, and blood salvage, visit our detailed Bloodless Heart Surgery page. After surgery, blood loss continues to be minimized and intensive care protocols are implemented to manage anemia. Learn More To learn more about the motivation and benefits behind...
