Given the importance of Houston’s Texas Medical Center in the development of open heart surgery (see here and here), a couple of recent NY Times articles focusing on open heart surgery caught my attention.
First, in this article, David Schribman compares his recent open heart surgery to the heart surgery that a childhood friend endured 42 years ago.
Next, following on this earlier post, this NY Times article reports that safety concerns are increasing over the long-term risks of stents used in angioplasty procedures. New data is indicating that the sickest heart patients may actually live longer if they receive bypass surgery rather than the angioplasty, which is prompting some well-known heart surgeons and cardiologists to conclude that the pendulum has swung too far away from bypass surgery.
Finally, the Times provides this extraordinary slide show of open heart surgery. The slide show is a powerful reminder that — despite the now common nature of bypass surgery — it is still not as routine as changing a flat tire.