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Is there any further help available?
My father had a heart attack on Dec. 22, 1999 and another on Dec. 25, 1999. He was transferred to St. Peters Hospital in Albany, Ny. there was too much damage to his heart to do a by-pass. He is coming home today with medicine and they said that he could apply for placement on a heart transplant list. His ejection fraction is 10-15%. He has to go on a heart happy diet and slowly increase his stamina. Is there anything available to regenerate the damaged heart muscle (tissue)? Can people live relatively normal and a pretty normal life span under these conditions? Will the blockage clear up with these medications? What can we do to help him? Would you suggest a second opinion? Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If the heart tissue is dead (scar) there is nothing that can be done to regenerate it. There is a condition called 'hybernation' where the muscle only looks dead but is actually 'asleep' due to poor blood flow and this condition can be helped with bypass surgery. Hybernation can be diagnosed with a PET scan or thallium scan with delayed uptake images. We do all this tests here at the Cleveland Clinic and would be happy to see your father in the Heart transplant clinic if he wishes.
Dear Lisa W.
Sorry to hear of your father's condition. There is a treatment called EECP that may possibly offer some help to your Dad. It is a non-invasive treatment for chronic stable angina. In your father's case it would be off-label use currently because of his low ejection fraction, but if he has few other options at this point it might well be worth looking into. There is a treatment center in Albany, Prime Care Associates, Dr. Michael Marmulstein.You can look up more info on EECP at www.EECP.com or www.Natural bypass.com . EECP has FDA clearance to treat chronic stable and unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiogenic shock, though it is only currently used to treat chronic stable angina. Current studies are investigating use of EECP in heart failure, for which your father might be a study candidate. Hopefully your father will see an improvement in condition with medication and other therapies as well. Sincerely Tom
Sorry to hear of your father's condition. There is a treatment called EECP that may possibly offer some help to your Dad. It is a non-invasive treatment for chronic stable angina. In your father's case it would be off-label use currently because of his low ejection fraction, but if he has few other options at this point it might well be worth looking into. There is a treatment center in Albany, Prime Care Associates, Dr. Michael Marmulstein.You can look up more info on EECP at www.EECP.com or www.Natural bypass.com . EECP has FDA clearance to treat chronic stable and unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiogenic shock, though it is only currently used to treat chronic stable angina. Current studies are investigating use of EECP in heart failure, for which your father might be a study candidate. Hopefully your father will see an improvement in condition with medication and other therapies as well. Sincerely Tom
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