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Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Vascular Surgeon Interviewed In Healthy Body, Healthy Mind Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Program On PBS Stations Nationwide
Dr. Robert Zwolak appears as featured speaker on AAA.
Chicago (October 13, 2006) —
Dr. Robert Zwolak, with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, and three other members of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) are interviewed in a Healthy Body, Healthy Mind abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) program airing on PBS stations nationwide. Airing in November, the program focuses on the risks, prevention, and treatment of AAA. Nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with AAA annually, and approximately 15,000 die each year from a ruptured AAA.
“Congress exercised great wisdom in creating this preventive benefit,” said Zwolak. “Now we have to help educate the new Medicare beneficiaries to take advantage of it.”
Most smokers know they are at risk for lung disease and heart disease, but few know they are damaging the most important artery in the body, the aorta. Abdominal aortic aneurysms give patients little to no warning signs that pressure is building in the aorta and causing a very serious condition. Undetected, the aneurysm can rupture causing internal bleeding and sending patients quickly into critical condition. However, if diagnosed in time, patients can be successfully treated…and also; saved from a potentially fatal outcome.
AAA is a disease that primarily affects people in their late 50s and 60s. It is a very important topic right now because beginning in Jan. 2007 Medicare will offer a one-time free AAA ultrasound screening to qualified seniors as part of their Welcome to Medicare physical. Men who have smoked at any time during their life, and men and women with a family history of AAA are eligible for the new Medicare benefit.
Other vascular surgeons interviewed in the program include: Dr. Jeffrey Carpenter, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Dr. Carlo Dall’Olmo, Michigan Vascular Center, Flint, MI; Dr. Mark Farber, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
Viewers should check their local PBS television listing for the airing schedule or go to http://www.itvisus.com/programs/hbhm/schedule.asp. For more information about AAA and other vascular diseases, visit www.vascularweb.org call 800-258-7188 to receive a brochure about AAA and the Medicare screening benefit. The program is sponsored by Medtronic Vascular.
About the Society for Vascular Surgery
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is a not-for-profit medical society that seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research and public awareness. SVS is the national advocate for 2,400 vascular surgeons dedicated to the prevention and cure of vascular disease.
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Society for Vascular Surgery - 633 N. St. Clair, 24th Floor; Chicago, IL 60611; Phone: 312-334-2300 or 800-258-7188; Fax: 312-334-2320; Email: vascular@vascularsociety.org
© 2008 VascularWeb. All rights reserved. Use of the VascularWeb site constitutes acceptance of all of the policies, rules and regulations for the site.
© 2008 VascularWeb. All rights reserved. Use of the VascularWeb site constitutes acceptance of all of the policies, rules and regulations for the site.