The Same Veracity, However This Time It Is Titanium!

Let us nuke (microwave) some “No salt” popcorn for 2 minutes… because today is an anniversary of sorts. 5 months this very day since my LVAD surgery. I am feeling monumental …heheheheh. Five months of fighting the good fight for all the expressions & prayers and the medical advances I received or receiving.

Again, I can remember, just a few years ago… in an LVAD-LESS world, I would not be around adding posts to this blog, see my kids and throw my grandchildren playfully onto my shoulders. Grandson One on my right shoulder and Grandson Two on my left shoulder… I begin to charge like a bull, the three of us laugh.

The truth of the matter is, the veracity I have from the Heartmate 2 LVAD has equaled the veracity of life prior to my massive heart attack. I am thankful. In hindsight, getting through these last six months, I applaud myself :-) for the relentless self- discipline used to regain the enjoyment of life’s finer attributes. I respect my vessel… my mind and body.

After all, a leading team of dedicated Medical Professionals, sincerely watch over my health, and for that I know I am blessed with the heavens on my side. Dynamic people doing amazing work at Columbia-New York Presbyterian hospital. As I watch, I have become a patient and a recipient …an amazed spectator.

As the quote goes at the end of the 1st IRON MAN movie…

“I am Iron Man”

Iron Man and Iron Man2 MARVEL.COM The Movie © 2009 © 2010

And the good saga continues…

Dr Naka Succeeded Dr Oz

When Dr Oz headed for TV land,
Dr Naka took over the reigns.
Dr Naka is the surgeon who
performed my LVAD implant at
New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Is Dr Naka the next TV doctor?



Yoshifumi Naka, MD, PhD

Positions and Appointments
2001-present Associate Professor of Surgery
Columbia University College of
Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY
2003-present Director, Cardiac Transplantation Program
Columbia University Medical Center,
New York, NY
2001-present Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Program
Columbia University Medical Center,
New York, NY
1999-present Attending Surgeon
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
Clinical SpecialtiesGeneral adult cardiac surgery
Adult cardiac surgery for coronary artery disease
Valvular heart disease
Heart/lung transplantation
Mechanical circulatory support device implantation
Research InterestsCardiac and pulmonary transplantation
Organ preservation
Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation
Mechanical circulatory support devices
Vein graft disease after bypass surgery

Education and Training
1996-1998 Visiting Clinical Fellowship, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
1993-1996 Research Fellowship,
Cardiac and Pulmonary Transplantation
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
1993 Fellowship, Cardiovascular Surgery
Osaka Police Hospital, Japan
1991 Residency
Osaka Police Hospital, Japan
1989 Research and Clinical Fellowship
Osaka University Medical School, Japan
1988 PhD
Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
1984 MD
Osaka University Medical School, Japan

Professional Experience1998-1999 Junior Attending Surgeon
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
Professional HonorsCournand and Comroe Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association, 1995

Young Investigators Award, Japanese Association of Thoracic Surgery, 1988
Professional Societies and CommitteesMEMBERSHIPS
American Association for Thoracic Surgery
American Heart Association,
Councils of Circulation and Cardiothoracic Surgery
American Society for Artificial Internal Organs
American Society of Transplant Surgeons
International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery
Japanese Circulation Society
Japan Surgical Society
New York Society of Thoracic Surgery
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Society of University Surgeons

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Co-Chair, Satellite Symposium 3 “Current trends in mechanical assistance: Role of destination therapy” at the annual meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, San Francisco, USA, 2004

Co-Chair, "Featured Research Session" at the annual meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society, Sapporo, Japan, 2002

Co-Chair, "More VADs go bad," at the annual meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Vancouver, 2001

Chair, "A issue in device immunology", at the annual meeting of the World Artificial-Organ, Immunology, and Transplantation, Ottawa, 2001

Chair, "Device patient interaction" at the International Heart and Lung Transplantation 3rd Fall Education Meeting, Mechanical Circulatory Support and Replacement II, Anaheim, 2001

Guest Editor, Ann Thoracic Surg 71 (suppl); Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Circulatory Support Devices For Severe Cardiac Failure. New York, NY, 9/15-17/00

For more information on Dr Naka please visit:
http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/facdb/profile_list.asp?uni=yn33&DepAffil=Surgery

And the good saga continues...

Meeting With THORATEC In The Flesh,Blood And Titanium (and Richard Gere too)

THORATEC (THOR) the maker of the HEARTMATE ll LVAD had sent word to me that they have seen my blog and complimented it. THOR has always been professionally approachable with any question, concern or idea that I had. Then my wife and I received a message that THORATEC wanted to meet with me - flesh, blood and titanium. We were quite honored and a time and place was set. A small and quaint Manhattan Italian restaurant.

We met at dinner and the THOR representative (he plays a visionary role within the ranks of THOR) truly took his time to listen to an LVAD recipient and shared some innovative info that continues to show that THORATEC IS A CARING COMPANY that constantly pushes the envelope on LVAD technology and LVAD recipient comfort. The dinner lasted 4 hours.


At the restaurant where the dinner-meeting was set, were Richard Gere, the actor, and his wife Carrie Lowell, eating dinner. When it was time for us to leave, the THORATEC representative went to get his coat and accidentally tried to give Gere's wife his coat-claim ticket and a tip. She rejected his gesture and walked back to her table and husband. Apparently she was returning from the restroom that was near to the coat-check closet. It was too funny! An honest mistake.

Then we walked the THOR rep to his hotel...almost a mile away. We said our goodbyes and my wife and I (powered by the Heartmate ll) walked back to our truck which was parked by the restaurant. We had an outstanding and memorable evening and a brief encounter with Richard Gere and his wife.

We know we are in good hands with a company like THORATEC.

And the good saga continues...

The LVAD is a sensible and remarkable option for people with heart falure.

Due to my heart failure my Cardiologist told me i would need a temporary LVAD (left ventricular assist device) to extend my life and lead as normal of a life as possible until my heart transplant. I was classified as a "Bridge to Transplant" patient. Other folks who can not receive a heart transplant may recieve a permanent LVAD under the classification "Destination Therapy".

The LVAD is a titanium pump that does the job of the heart's left ventricle; pumping oxygen enriched blood.

It is implanted behind the ribcage and grafted to the heart.

The pump is a mini jet/turbine motor turning 8,600 +/- revolutions per minute (RPM). Its job is to pump 4 to 7 liters of blood per minute from the left ventricle up to the aorta. The LVAD is powered through a special wire called a driveline that is connected to the pump portion of the LVAD and tracks through the body to an exit point in the lower left or right abdomen.

The driveline wire exits the abdomen and is connected to a system controller/computer that monitors and powers the LVAD. The main functions of the system controller maintain the pump motor's RPM, the amount of blood flow while alerting the LVAD recipient with alarms should something be abnormal or fail. It also stores in depth daily data that can be seen on a home base system monitor or retrieved at the hospital during routine checkups.

The power source of the LVAD is electricity via a household electrical outlet or 2 lithium batteries. The lithium batteries can last up to 16+ hours in an emergency but 12 hours is the recommended use before changing to fully charged batteries.

Each battery weighs close to 1.5 lbs and worn in shoulder-supported holsters.

When at home, but especially asleep, the batteries are removed and the LVAD is plugged into a household electrical outlet. Each time an LVAD recipient leaves his or her home, they must carry at least 2 extra batteries and an extra system controller in the event of rare problems or failures.

As an LVAD recipient, I believe the LVAD is a sensible and remarkable option for people with heart falure. As stated by a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Dr Ulrich Jorde said "...it could save the lives of 10,000 Americans a year."

And it saved mine.

And the good saga continues...

LVAD VIDEOS & VIDEO OF MY SURGEON

MY SURGEON DR. NAKA

(APPEARS @ 32 SECONDS OF VIDEO)

GENERAL LVAD INFO

THORATEC HEARTMATE II LVAD

And the good saga continues...

START HERE: DONT KNOW WHAT AN LVAD IS? IT WAS AN ALL OUT AMBUSH!

It all started when i thought life was set and my perimeters secured.

2 Grandsons in the last 3 years...

Jaydon & Jordon.

We just completed 4 round trip cross-country drives NYC to Cali and back from October 2008-October 2009

My wife and best friend made my good life possible!

I was sitting pretty, no one could knock me off the Helm.

Then "It" came, from all directions!

T H E H E A R T A T T A C K !

NO CHEST PAIN! NO PAIN OR NUMBNESS IN THE LEFT ARM, MY HEART ATTACK WAS DISGUISED AS "FOOD POISONING".

All i had was a sour and very eruptive stomach.

For one week i sat home with my wife nursing my stomach. FINALLY I had a few doctors see me. They told me i had a MASSSIVE heart attack! They told me i needed a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implanted and grafted to my heart ASAP... They told me i was lucky to still be alive :)

THANK YOU GOD, I AM BLESSED with the LVAD in place...

I was discharged 11 days after the LVAD was implanted and grafted (I am told one of the fastest discharges in LVAD's 14 year history at the hospital). With a longer lease on life, things began to change; including my wardrobe that showcased undercover holster-shirts!

These special shirts make my days easier as i need to carry 2 lithium batteries (and instead of guns, the batteries are tucked into the holsters) to power my heart pump... the LVAD.

The LVAD team (Margaret, Rosie, Jennifer, Khristine and Donna) and the rest of LVAD NATION at the hospital trained me and my family to live with and safely maintain the LVAD. They are angels here on earth.

I still have no complaints as i work on myself in preparation for a Heart Transplant :)

The good saga continues...