St. Patrick Hospital: Docs argue heart fixes at Missoula gathering of the Rocky Mountain Valve Symposium

Where to begin?

If you’re a cardiac surgeon looking at a diseased aorta, that’s an open question. And one that provoked some vigorous debate among the doctors at the Rocky Mountain Valve Symposium on Thursday.

Looking at the aortic root – the place where the blood vessel joins the heart muscle wall – is relatively new in the world of heart surgery. It’s a common place for heart disease to attack. The challenge has been finding the best way to repair or reinforce that junction. Some doctors have focused on replacing the heart valve itself, while others prefer to work on the blood vessel.

By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92845163&ft=1&f=1006

International Heart Institute of Montana http://ihimontana.org/