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| Vol. 21, No. 23 |
| December 15, 1999 |
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September 1998 by JENNIFER SNYDER Texas Heart Institute Dr. Denton A. Cooley performed a quadruple coronary bypass surgery on August 19 - the first time such an operation has been simulcast live on both the Internet and cable television. America's Health Network® (AHN) broadcasted the surgery from St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital - home of the Texas Heart Institute - on August 19 with coverage on both its Internet Web site, AHN.COM, and its cable television channel. Dr. Cooley led the surgical team, assisted by cardiovascular surgeon Dr. J. Michael Duncan. AHN's Dr. Walt Larimore provided continuous medical commentary. "We elected to take part in the Internet/cable broadcast because it offers us an unprecedented opportunity to teach the public the importance of heart disease prevention, and to inform them about the new technologies and treatments that have helped many patients live longer and more satisfying lives," said Dr. Cooley, president and surgeon-in-chief of the Texas Heart Institute and chief of cardiovascular surgery at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. "Someone dies every 33 seconds in the United States from heart disease, but at the Texas Heart Institute we believe this is a statistic that can be reduced through greater awareness because a healthier heart is within everyone's reach." The operation was performed on Rena Fluker, a 48-year-old woman from Pasadena, Texas. A wife and mother of three children, Fluker was diagnosed with multi-vessel coronary artery disease in May of this year. "This is a very intelligent woman whose attitude is, `If this will help someone else, I'm happy to do it,'" Dr. Cooley said. This operation headlined a full day of programming on AHN dedicated to increasing heart health awareness. Subjects covered included: health risk assessments for heart attack and stroke; how to decrease the risk of heart disease; what to do when someone is having a heart attack; new medical and surgical treatments; what's in the research pipeline; and profiles of Dr. Cooley. The open heart surgery was a second in an on-going series of medical procedures to be covered live by AHN and AHN.COM. In June, a similar broadcast by AHN, the first of a live childbirth, set a one-day Internet event record when more than a million people logged on to AHN.COM. "Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America," said Web Golinkin, chairman and CEO of AHN, "but doctors today are able to save many lives through new medical and surgical treatments. We hope that by shedding light on these recent advances, America's Health Network and the Texas Heart Institute will stimulate more people to get the help they need." AHN is based in Universal Studios Florida, in Orlando. The network provides 24-hour, all-original health and medical programming. It reaches 8.5 million households in all 50 states through cable television and satellite distributors. It is carried live on its Web site, AHN.COM, which was the leading health-related site in June with more than 3 million unique users.
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