The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, February 7, 2014 - 3
A view from the heart
V IRGINIA LOZANO/DUaily
Dr. Himanshu J. Patel performs a new surgery to help repair thoracic aortic
aneurysms at the Cardiovascular Center of the University Hospital Wednes-
day.
curvature of the aorta," Patel said.
"They come close to important
blood vessels that supply impor-
tant parts."
To treat aneurysms, surgeons
place stent grafts in the diseased
area of the blood vessel. Stent
grafts are small tubes supported
by a metal mesh framework. The
graft redirects blood flow so that
it can pass the aneurysm without
causing further injury to the area.
Relieving the pressure on the ves-
sel walls lessens the risk of rup-
ture.
While stent grafts were used
to treat aneurysms before the
invention of the Gore TAG, Patel
said former grafts were designed
to treat straight sections of the
aorta. Treating aneurysms in
the aortic arch with these grafts
required a complicated supple-
mental procedure.
"Usually when it encroaches
on the left arm blood vessel,
we made a cut in the neck, we
did a bypass from the left brain
blood vessel to the left arm
blood vessel ... and then put
the stent graft across that area
where the left arm blood vessel
comes off," Patel said.
Unlike former stent grafts,
the Gore TAG has a branch
that allows it to fit better into
the aorta's arch. Patel said this
device was designed and man-
ufactured specifically for this
procedure. It allows for a much
less invasive surgery than was
previously possible, requiring
only a small groin incision.
Although the Gore TAG stent
graft is a step forward, it only has
one branch. In contrast, the aorta
branches into three different
blood vessels. Patel said he hopes
that there will soon be multiple
branch stent grafts to better fit
the shape of the aorta.
"The hope is that we're going to
a multiple branch system to treat
more of the arched aorta," Patel
said.
UMHS is one of only six hospi-
tals in the country with access to
the Gore TAG. The others are Uni-
versity of Pittsburgh, the Mayo
Clinic, Dartmouth College, The
University of Pennsylvania and
Stanford University. The Gore
TAG is also undergoing a feasibil-
ity study through the FDA. Patel
said the device has been success-
fully implanted in animals and
was determined ready for human
use.
"What the FDA allows is a
small number of patients to be
enrolled in the study, to see how
this device interacts with human
beings," Patel said. "If it looks
like it works pretty well, then
what they'll do is they'll allow for
a bigger trial, to see if it can be
approved for use in the U.S."
Patel said UMHS was the first
hospital to perform the surgery
because they had the first will-
ing patients. The surgery was a
success on both of the first two
patients, who were discharged
from the hospital within a week
of having the surgery. Now that
UMHS has shown that the Gore
TAG works, it is likely that it will
be approved for wider use.
"They were very brave people,"
Patel said. "Because they were
brave enough to participate in
this trial, we hope that this type
of device will succeed and be
available to other patients so that
we can treat them perhaps in a
better way."
Weekend roundup: Feb. 7-9
By ALICIA ADAMCZYK
Daily StaffReporter
Hungry? Grab a Wafel! This
Friday, The Wafel Shop is giving
away free waffles - you buy the
toppings - to celebrate its one
year anniversary, from 12 p.m. to
2 p.m. What better way to recov-
er from ... studying at the UGLi
Thursday night than with free,
carb-heavy food?
In preparation for the Oscars
next month, check out one of the
nominated films at the State The-
ater this weekend. "Philomena"
starring Dame Judi Dench will be
playing all weekend. According to
Daily film columnist Natalie Gad-
bois, Dench's acting is worth the
ticket price.
"Dench seems to go in a softer
direction with 'Philomena,' but
Phil is possibly her most badass
character yet: a forgiving woman
with dignity and grace, one who
doesn't pretend to be someone she
is not," Gadbois wrote.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Starting at 2:30 p.m., the I Will
Campaign will host an event at
Amer's on Church Street to dis-
cuss the expulsion of Brendan
Gibbons, a former Michigan foot-
ball player, who the Daily report-
ed was "permanently separated"
from the University for violating
the University's Student Sexual
Misconduct Policy. The student
group will focus on how the case
could have been handled differ-
ently and how it affects the cam-
pus community.
University of Michigan Hillel
and Conference on the Holocaust
will host Holocaust survivor Dr.
Emanuel Tanay at its Shabbat din-
ner, starting at 5:40 p.m.
If partaking in an event "with
the soul of a hackathon and the
heart of a business competition"
appeals to the entrepreneur in
you, look no further than Ann
Arbor Startup Weekend, hosted
by MPowered. In just 54 hours,
students will design a business
plan and prototype startup. The
event begins at 7 p.m. and lasts
until Sunday evening.
"I attended my first Startup
Weekend last year, and it has cer-
tainly shown me that entrepre-
neurship is different," LSA junior
Evan Flatto, co-director of Start-
up Weekend, said. "The energy,
passion and atmosphere involved
with building a business in just
weekend is unique and can't be
found anywhere else."
Starting at 7 p.m., the Michigan
Muslims Student Association will
host its annual Michigan Mus-
lims Banquet. There will be din-
ner, entertainment and a keynote
address given by Hind Makki, a
leadership associate at the Inter-
faith Youth Core, in the Michigan
Union Ballroom. Groove will also
perform.
SPORTS
Michigan Women's Swimming
will compete against Michigan
State University at 5 p.m. at Can-
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
ham l
Men's'
Texas.
nis Cet
Natatorium. Additionally, The Vietnamese Student Asso-
Tennis will take on No. 24 ciation will present the Dem Vit
at 6 p.m. at the Varsity Ten- Nam Cultural Show 2014: Back to
nter. the Future, Tro Lai Tuong Lai, at
LATE-NIGHT 7 p.m. at the Lydia Mendelssohn
Theater. All proceedswill support
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If you're tired of the same old
Friday night shenanigans, why
not try out the Center for Campus
Involvement's ULove UMix from
8 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the Michigan
Union. You can hang out with
your BFF Jennifer Lawrence dur-
ing a screening of "The Hunger
Games: Catching Fire," play 3D
Twister or just nom on the mid-
night sandwich and soup buffet
(featuring special guest: choco-
late covered strawberries).
the Children of Vietnam Charity. I
After the showv you're invito o
"get your body ready" for the after
party at Necto Nightclub.
Fashion and charity lovers
unite! Shei Magazine, the Univer-
sity's student-run fashion publica-
tion, is hosting its annual charity
fashionshowincollaborationwith
Merit, a charity clothing line cre-
ated by University alum David
Merritt. Expect lots of style, cloth-
ing raffles and star treatment. The
show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the
Michigan League Ballroom.
INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
RESEARCH CENTER FOR GROUP DYNAMICS
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Winter 2014 Seminar Series:
New Science on Race, Discrimination
and the Social Lives of Black Americans
For the sports fans, Michigan SPORTS
Men's Swimming will face MSU
at noon in Canham Natatorium. If you missed attending a basket-
If the Winter Olympics are mak- ball game this weekend while the
ing you yearn for the excitement men's team was on the road, head
2012 summer games, support out to Crisler Center for the Women's
senior gymnast Sam Mikulak Basketball, who will take on No. 25
and the rest of the Men's Gym- Purdueat12 p.m.
nastics team at 7 p.m. in Cliff Havingalittleback-and-forthwith
Keen Arena. that cute guy or gal in your sopho-
This week, the Men's Basket- more seminar? Are you looking for
ball Team will play No. 17 Iowa the perfect,unique courtingopportu-
at 2 p.m. in Iowa City. While you nity?Well,takehimorher over tothe
won't be able to cheer with the Varsity Tennis Center - where Love
rest of the Maize Rage in Crisler, is always in the air - for the Men's
chances are your local bar or Tennis match against Youngstown
family room will be nearly as State starting at 5:30 p.m. What's
entertaining. moreromanticthanthat?
February 03, 2014 Institute for Social Research
3:30-5:00 p.m. 426 Thompson Street
Room 6050
Free and open to the public
Follow us: @umisr, @rcgdjisr
Join the conversation: #RCGDseminar
More information: http://bit.ly/RCGD-seminar