It's Medical Monday and Aortic Disease Awareness Month!

Today is Medical Monday and Aortic Disease Awareness Month at Aortic Hope.

PUMPHEAD is a term we have used often in the aortic community, especially from individuals who have had open heart surgery.

As defined in VeryWellHealth, in the article written by Richard N. Forgoros, MD titled, "Cognitive Impairment After Bypass Surgery". Dr. Forgoros says: "(Pumphead) got this name because the presumption was that cognitive impairment after bypass surgery was related to the use of the cardiopulmonary bypass pump during the procedure."

It is important to understand what "cognitive impairment" actually means. Dr. Forgoros explains that "These may include any or all of the following: poor attention span, poor memory, poor decision making, inability to concentrate, reduced speed of movement, and a general impairment in the ability to think clearly. More severe symptoms such as overt delirium can also be seen rarely. These symptoms can appear immediately after surgery and can range greatly in severity from incapacitating to barely noticeable (in which case sophisticated neurocognitive studies are required to detect them)."

To learn more about Pumphead, visit this article.

However, it may not be solely due to the medical procedure of bypass. Pumphead may also be caused by anxiety or PTSD.

Check out this amazing teaser video and consider downloading the entire video.