Now they're using plastic valves to replace the worn-out valves in the human heart.
Not many medical centers are using them. And they haven't been tried out on too many patients.
But, according to Dr. Denton A. Cooley, of Houston, Tex., ''they're working out real well."
"We have a few cases which have gone on for several years with these siabstitue valves," said Dr. Cooley, who Wednesday addressed sessions of the Southeastern Surgical Congress.
And although this type of surgery is only being done in a! few medical centers of the country, he added, it should help save many lives in the future.
The substitute valves are used in serious cases of mitral insufficiency, which involves leaky valves of the heart, ex plained Dr. Cooley, an associate professor of surgery at the Bay lor University College of Medi cine.
The surgeon said dealing with mitral insufficiency is much more difficult than dealing with mitral stenosis (a valve of the heart which has an obstruction). "Mitral stenosis surgery," he explained, "has been developed to the point where there are very satisfactory results and very low risks. The surgeon uses techniques and instruments to dilate the valve and break up adhesions. But dealing with mitral insufficiency is • more complicated since it involves use of the heart-lung.machine." Dr. Cooley said there are at present several methods of repairing the leak of a mitral valve; that most of these techniques involve reconstruction of I the tissue.
"And in many instances," he added, "this may still be the most satisfactory approach to the problem. But in cases of advanced destruction of the valve the only solution is use of the plastic valve, which of course is the newest technique. In advanced destruction, so much of the valve has been destroyed, it just can't be reconstructed. And patients suffering from such advanced destruction will live less than a year unless something is done,"
Dr. Cooley said if cardiac function is relatively good, valve surgery isn't recommended since it involves a serious element of risk.
Studies carried on to determine which vasodilator drugs are most effective were described by Dr. William H. Lee Jr., Charleston, S. C, resident in surgery and advanced clinical trainee of the National Heart Institute, Medical Center of South Carolina.
Dr. Lee, >who won first place for his scientific paper, said the drug chosen depends on the needs of the patient. He said of four vasodilator drugs studied, two had no effect on the heart but were used primarily to open up blood vessels. The other two, he added, were very potent heart stimulants.
"If you have a heart which can respond to such stimulation
well and good," added the sur- stance in the blood streams as geon, "but if your heart is dis- some authorities once believed eased^such a drug could prove! Winning medalists who presented papers follow: From Au-
Dr. Lee said the vasodilators gusta, Ga.: Drs. Robert G. Elli-which his group studied are son, David P. Hall and Lois T those'used for spasms of the Ellison; from Winston-Salem' blood vessels. He said the N. C: Drs. Crampton H. Helms vasodilator drugs should not be and Jesse H. Meredith- from confused with the anti-clotting Memphis, Tenn.: Drs. Roger T drugs; that the vasodilators Sherman, Felix A* Hughes' merely work on the blood ves-Rogert E. Campbell and Henry sels or on nerves supplying the W. Keisker; from Atlanta Ga • blood- vessels to open up the Drs. Sam A. Wilkins Jr S An' blood vessels. gier Wills, Edgar Grady ' wn
For the first time in the history of the surgical congress a; liana P. Nicolson Jr., William E forum on "The Progress In Sur- Schatten and Luther C. Rollins-gery" was held. At this forum ;fr°ni Washington, D. C: Drs! speakers discussed the newest H- E. Noyes and A. Einhaber-in surgical techniques and re- *~ search.
Dr. Curtis T. Artz, Jackson,
Miss., who served as chairman of the forum committee, saic forum speakers were selectee on the basis of previously sub mitted abstracts; that the papers they presented at the convention were called medalist papers and the speakers were called winning medalists.
In reporting their findings Dr. Artz explained, the medalists said:
1. A child who has a hernia on one side most probably has one on the other side.
2. The lower portion of the large intestine can be used as an effective substitute for a bladder which had to be removed because of cancer.
S.^The two most effective antibiotics in strangulation obstruction are kanamycin and penicillin.
4. In cases of profound shock1 there is no unusual toxic sub-
from Jackson, Miss.: Drs. Ray. mond S. Martin Jr., Martin L Dalton and William O. Barnett-from Charleston, S. C: Drs Manly Stallworth, Gilbert B. iBradham-and Lee; from New Orleans: Drs. Johnjy^lani and Patrick H. Haniey7'*froni" Lake Charles: Drs. Gerard A. Weiss and Andrew Ranier, and from Jasper, Ala,, Dr. Wesley F. Jones Jr. PHOTO: ADDRESSES WERE MADE by these doctors at Wednesday's session of the Southeastern Surgical Congress convention at the Roosevelt hotel: (from left) Dr. Denton A. Cooley, Hous ton, Tex.; Dr. Curtis P. Artz, Jackson, Miss., and Dr. William H. Lee Jr., Charleston, S. C.
