Health Alert: LVAD Surgery скачать в хорошем качестве

Health Alert: LVAD Surgery

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- A first-of-its kind heart surgery in Western North Carolina is giving a Forest City man a new lease on life. The LVAD is now an option when all other surgeries and therapies have failed. Jim Hemphill was 39 when he had a heart attack, 29 years ago. Medications, angioplasties and a bypass surgery followed, but Hemphill's heart kept getting weaker until an LVAD was implanted recently at Mission Hospital in Asheville. "An LVAD is a left ventricular assist device, which is a pump that can support the body where someone's heart function is critically weak," Dr. Benjamin Trichon with Asheville Cardiology said. This diagram from the Thoratec Corporation shows the LVAD extends out of the body to connect to a battery pack or a/c. That energy powers the device to support the heart and promote circulation. Even though there's a bag to carry around, Hemphill isn't fazed. "I don't even think about it. I'm getting plenty of oxygen and so my energy is back," Hemphill said. "This can be someone's permanent therapy for late-stage heart failure," Trichon said. For Hemphill, because of his active lifestyle, the LVAD is a better option than a heart transplant, which can be difficult to obtain, potentially complicated by rejection and sometimes life-limiting. _______________ Follow WLOS on social media: WLOS ABC 13 News on Facebook:   / news13   WLOS ABC 13 News on Twitter:   / wlos_13   WLOS ABC 13 News on Instagram:   / wlos_13   Subscribe to WLOS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ABC13Cha... Listen to AnchorMOMS, the Podcast: https://wlos.com/news/anchormoms/anch... Watch more top local news stories:    • Western Loses At ETSU, Highlights and more   For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit http://www.wlos.com Watch our live newscasts and other live video at https://wlos.com/watch Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 828.684.1340 WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.