Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The wrist as a route to the heart

"About a million artery-clearing angioplasties are performed in the United States each year, and the usual route is to thread a tube to the heart through an artery in the groin. But a major study this summer showed that going through the wrist instead can significantly lower the risk of bleeding, without the discomfort of lying flat for hours while the incision site seals up. Just one-in-100 angioplasties in the United States is done via the wrist, and the approach isn't for everyone. But the study promises to spur more specialists to use the method"

Watch Dr. Howard Cohen, a cardiologist, explain it on The Early Show (CBS):

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