Heart pump not found to cause cognitive problems
10th Nov 2005, 21:28 GMT
The use of a heart pump during bypass surgery to treat angina has previously been feared to cause cognitive defecits in recipients. However, recent reports show that the heart pump does not cause memory loss or deterioration of mental capacities. Dr. Guy McKhann of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted a study comparing the cognitive abilities of heart patients who had been on the heart pump during surgery, and those of patients with healthy hearts, and found no significant differences. Therefore, physicians and patients alike can ease their minds about the use of heart pumps during surgery. Read Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments