Lex Med Blog

Colon cancer is one of the most deadly cancers in America, but also the one of the most treatable when detected early. Unfortunately, the number of people in their 20s and 30s diagnosed with colon cancer is increasing. And, each year, 2,000 South Carolinians are diagnosed with colon cancer, and 800 die from the disease.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. In this WLTX interview, Dr. Edward Jakubs of Southern Surgical Group talks about risk factors, prevention and screening.

For more information about Dr. Jakubs and Southern Surgical Group, visit SouthernSurgicalGroup.com.

When it comes to heart disease, how knowledgable are you? In this WIS-TV report, news anchor Dawndy Mercer-Plank asked community members in downtown Columbia questions about heart health. Then, Dr. Heather Currier, new cardiothoracic surgeon at Lexington Cardiovascular Surgery, provided answers.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women in America. in fact, it kills more people than many forms of cancer combined. A recent study from the American Heart Association showed that approximately 46% of American adults have some form of heart disease. In South Carolina, the most common heart surgery is coronary artery bypass. And, as the population grows older, valve replacement is becoming more frequent, too.

Lexington Medical Center wants you to “Just Say Know” to heart disease. To test your heart health knowledge with a quiz, visit LexMed.com/Know.

We’re pleased to bring you a blog series called “Meet the Patients.” We share the stories of Lexington Medical Center patients whose experiences will educate and inspire readers about the outstanding care provided throughout our hospital network and the importance of modern medicine.

Horace Bush loves living in the peaceful Aiken County countryside.

His days include walks to the pasture where he and his wife of 65 years have cows.

But last year, the 100 yard walk from his house to the barn became nearly impossible for him.

“I couldn’t breathe,” Mr. Bush said. “I was completely out of breath.”

At nearly 90 years old, his doctor in Aiken sent him to Lexington Cardiology, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice. Mr. Bush’s aortic valve was failing – and would need to be replaced.

Robert Leonardi, MD, FACC, FSCAI, wanted to replace Mr. Bush’s aortic valve with transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Considered one of the most significant advancements in cardiology, this technology allows doctors to replace the aortic valve with a catheter instead of open heart surgery.

TAVR is for patients with severe aortic stenosis, a narrowed aortic valve that does not let blood flow efficiently. As the heart works harder to pump blood through the smaller opening in the valve, the heart eventually becomes weak.

“Patients with severe aortic stenosis have a prognosis that’s worse that most metastatic cancers,” Dr. Leonardi said. “TAVR helps them feel better and gives patients a much better quality of life.”

Some patients undergoing TAVR are at a higher risk of having a stroke. Now, Lexington Medical Center doctors have a device called The Sentinel® to prevent that. The Sentinel is a basket that doctors place in arteries leading to the brain. It helps to prevent blood clots or plaque from going to the brain and causing a stroke during TAVR. The Sentinel is removed at the end of the procedure.

Mr. Bush was the first patient to have TAVR with The Sentinel at Lexington Medical Center. It was a complete success.

“I can never express my gratitude to the doctors,” he said. “Fixing my heart valve through a catheter is a new field – and I prefer what they did instead of having to go through open heart surgery.”

Notably, Lexington Medical Center performs almost all TAVR procedures in its cardiac catheterization labs while patients are awake. Doctors can talk to patients during the procedure and they typically go home from the hospital the next day.

That includes Mr. Bush.

Today, he’s back to walking to the pasture with ease – and no shortness of breath. And he said hospital staff treated him life family and provided unbelievable service.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 10+,” he said. “Those doctors are ‘outta sight.’”

For more information about Lexington Cardiology and Lexington Medical Heart Center’s structural heart program, visit LexMed.com.