special to The Star
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN —
The team of cardiac physicians at Anderson Regional Heart Center is now performing minimally invasive heart valve surgery.
“We are pleased to offer this breakthrough heart surgery to our patients,” said Dr. R. Bryce Turnage at the Anderson Regional Heart Center. “Our team has been a leader in the field since we opened this heart center 24 years ago, and we continue to embrace best practice treatment options for our patients.”
Minimally invasive valve surgery is an innovative approach to treating heart valve disease. Rather than making a large incision through the breastbone (sternum) to gain access to the heart, this method uses sophisticated instruments to perform the surgery through a smaller partial sternal incision or small incision between the ribs.
Minimally invasive valve surgery is a highly advanced technique that requires special expertise and equipment. Only select hospitals offer this approach.
“The benefits of this type of surgery are numerous, including a faster recovery and quicker return to normal activities, less time spent in the hospital, and smaller incisions, resulting in less scarring,” said Dr. Turnage.
Patients report having significantly less pain, with many patients able to control pain with over-the-counter medications. Other benefits include fewer heart rhythm problems and less need for blood transfusions.
“Anderson Regional Medical Center continues to support and encourage advances in health care,” said Ray Humphreys, president and chief executive officer. “Once again, our hospital is leading the way in bringing the latest medical procedures to the area.”
The longest established heart program in the East Mississippi/West Alabama area, the Anderson Regional Heart Center opened in 1986 and its cardiac surgeons, David Geer, MD; R. Bryce Turnage, MD; and Glenn Lau, MD, have more than 72 years of combined experience, performing more than 6,000 surgeries. The catheterization lab has performed more than 40,000 procedures since it opened 24 years ago.
