by DrCiuffo | Sep 11, 2018 | Advanced Heart Surgery, Blog, Heart Surgery, Inoperable Heart Surgery Patients
Inoperable Diagnosis? Get a Second Opinion Many patients come to us for a second opinion after receiving an inoperable diagnosis. Inoperable heart surgery may be made possible by new and advanced techniques. Don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion. Dr. Ciuffo may be able to help when other doctors have decided the risks are too high. Inoperable Heart Surgery Many patients are diagnosed as high risk because of factors like age, frailty, or other diseases. Some patients with factors prohibiting heart surgery can receive successful life-saving procedures with minimally invasive techniques. High-risk patients should seek a second opinion on their inoperable heart surgery diagnosis. It’s impossible to say whether minimally invasive surgery is an option for you without a full examination and diagnosis, but the chances are good that minimally invasive techniques can help you or a loved one. Inoperable Diagnosis An inoperable diagnosis is often based on the doctor’s opinion of the patient’s ability to handle the shock of traditional heart surgery. Traditional surgery often results in broken ribs and massive incisions that take weeks or months to completely heal. With the shock of the invasion of the body, combined with the risks of infection, traditional heart surgery is extremely difficult for even healthy patients. If age, other diseases, or frailty are factored in, it may seem like an inoperable diagnosis is sound. However, with minimally invasive techniques, the risks are significantly reduced. Second Opinion Don’t be afraid to question the doctor who has given you a diagnosis. Ask why the cardiologist believes the diagnosis is “inoperable,” and have them write down their answers. Ask what the... by DrCiuffo | Oct 13, 2015 | Blog, Heart Surgery, Inoperable Heart Surgery Patients
Heart surgery is a life saving procedure for many people. There are a lot of different reasons to get heart surgery, including blocked arteries, damaged valves, controlled function, and so much more. Some people who need these surgeries are unable to have traditional cardiac procedures because of additional health problems. That’s where minimally invasive heart surgery comes in. Patients who are old, frail, or otherwise sick can receive minimally invasive heart surgery to save and extend their lives! So, who needs heart surgery? Patients who have heart failure Patients who have coronary heart disease Patients who have blocked arteries Patients who have damaged/blocked heart valves Patients with abnormal heart rhythms Patients who need medical devices in their heart Patients who have a damaged heart Who should look into minimally invasive heart surgery? If you have been diagnosed as inoperable or high risk by your normal doctor or cardiologist, it is extremely important to look into your options. Patients are diagnosed as inoperable when they are said to be too sick or too frail to be able to withstand traditional surgery. Minimally invasive procedures avoid the trauma, pain, and some of the risks that come with traditional surgery, making them the best possible option for high risk patients. Minimally invasive treatments are also a great option even if you are able to withstand traditional surgery. With a quicker recovery, less trauma, less pain, less blood loss, and many more benefits, minimally invasive is one of the best options available today. Get A Second Opinion With Dr. Ciuffo Dr. Ciuffo works with patients every day to create a minimally invasive surgical... by DrCiuffo | Sep 1, 2015 | Advanced Heart Surgery, Blog, Heart Surgery, Inoperable Heart Surgery Patients
If you have a high risk heart condition, your local doctor may say your case is inoperable. This may simply be because your local doctor doesn’t know about new, specialty techniques available out there. It is extremely important for anyone who has been diagnosed as high risk or inoperable to get a second opinion. Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo is well versed and experienced in creating solutions for all types of heart conditions. Inoperable Diagnosis After your diagnosis, ask your local cardiologist and heart surgeon why you’ve been diagnosed this way. Write down their answers. An expert in high risk cardiac cases can often handle many risk factors with excellent results These successful techniques may not be available in your area. There may be outside problems that are stopping your local doctor. For instance, bad lungs may be blamed for symptoms related to the heart condition. Fixing the heart condition might reverse these symptoms enough to save a patient and restore quality of life. Patients also need to ask about their chances without surgery. Some surgeons neglect to tell patients that going without surgery is significantly riskier than the surgery to fix it. It is important to know this to help you make the right choice and consider a second opinion. Obtain copies of all your imaging studies (i.e.: CAT scans, Echocardiograms, Left Heart Catheterizations, Stress Tests, MRI’s) and medical reports. Contact a center with expertise in high risk and inoperable heart surgery cases and request an evaluation of your case. Request A Second Opinion If you’ve been diagnosed as inoperable, please know that this is not final. Dr. Ciuffo works with many high risk patients every day to... by DrCiuffo | May 14, 2015 | Blog, Inoperable Heart Surgery Patients
Many of the patients we see have been diagnosed as inoperable or high risk because of outside factors like age, frailty, or other diseases. Patients with factors prohibiting their heart surgery can receive a successful, life-saving surgery with our minimally invasive techniques. Saying to a high-risk heart patient that there is nothing that can be done to help can have devastating and terminal consequences, and a second opinion with Dr. Ciuffo can help save your life or the life of a loved one. Minimally invasive procedures do not break ribs and include massive incisions that take many weeks or even months to heal completely. For many elderly and frail patients, traditional methods are simply not an option. Second Opinion For Inoperable Heart Surgery If you’ve been diagnosed as inoperable, please know that this is not final. Dr. Ciuffo works with many high-risk patients every day to create a minimally invasive surgical plan to save and extend their lives by many years. Some surgeons and doctors simply do not have the knowledge, expertise, or ability to perform minimally invasive surgeries. When given an inoperable diagnosis, follow these steps: 1. ASK WHY Ask your cardiologist exactly why they’ve given you this diagnosis and write down their answers. 2. ASK “WHAT ARE MY CHANCES?” Ask the doctor what your chances are without surgery. Some surgeons fail to tell patients that not doing anything about the heart condition is much riskier than the surgery to fix it. 3. GET YOUR MEDICAL REPORTS Request copies of all your medical reports and heart imaging studies, such as CAT scans, Echocardiograms, MRIs, etc. 4. CONTACT US Dr. Ciuffo is an expert... by DrCiuffo | Dec 29, 2014 | Blog, Inoperable Heart Surgery Patients
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a high-risk or inoperable heart condition, Dr. Ciuffo wants you to know that this may not be final. Dr. Ciuffo has ten tips to follow to make sure you understand your condition and know all of your options, so that you can continue living your life! 10 Tips For An Inoperable Heart Diagnosis 1. Ask both your medical doctor AND the surgeon to explain why your case is inoperable and write down all the details of his/her answer. 2. Obtain a copy of all your diagnostic study images (CAT scan, left heart catheterization, echocardiogram, EKG) along with their written reports. 3. Obtain all hospital reports, pertinent blood test results, other consultant opinions. 4. While you are collecting your information, call another heart surgeon for a second opinion and describe your condition and reasons why you were told you are inoperable. 5. Ask your doctors to communicate with your second opinion. Do not be shy about it. It is perfectly fine to question decisions that affect your life so much. Your doctors will be glad to discuss your case with another surgeon. 6. Set up an appointment to see your second opinion in person for a physical exam and a detailed discussion about your options. 7. This is your time to discuss the balance between risk and benefit related to an open heart operation. Keep this in mind: very often a surgical risk is way better than waiting for a miserable and earlier end of your life if nothing is done about your heart condition. 8. Get your family or... 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...
