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Question:
How can we improve my mother's condition before surgery?
My mother who is 80 needs surgery for valve replacement; she has been approved to have the surgery, even though with some high risk, but she has lost too much weight in recent years and I do not know if this makes a higher-risk situation. So I would like to ask you what can we do to improve her condition and gain some weight, with some medication maybe?
Thank you for my answer and for all the answers you give because they are very useful.
submitted by Gabriella from Italy, on 10/23/09
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Reynolds M. Delgado III, MD
It is hard to treat weight loss when the cardiac valve problem is present. It is important to try to maximize protein and calorie nutrition prior to surgery to promote healing after. Unfortunately, valve problems in her age group cannot be treated without surgery and waiting longer may raise risk, so efforts should be made to maximize nutrition.
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Updated October 2009
