Saturday, June 14, 2014 • Page 1B
Advanced Vascular Repair Minimally Invasive Endovascular Aortic Dissection Repair Saves Lives at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital Aortic dissection first came to public attention in 2003, when popular TV and film actor John Ritter complained of chest pain during rehearsals for “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter”, a sitcom in which he starred. He died later that evening of a thoracic aortic dissection, a catastrophic event caused when a tear in the inner wall of the aorta causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta, forcing them apart. “Acute aortic dissection is a timesensitive medical emergency,” said vascular surgeon Kourosh Keyhani, D.O. He and his brother Arash Keyhani, D.O., are affiliated with Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, where the duo recently performed a minimally invasive endovascular
Dr. Kourosh Keyhani
stent-graft repair of a Type B aortic dissection. The procedure was the first such repair performed at a Memorial Hermann hospital outside the
Spa Sisters
Texas Medical Center. Dissections that occur in the ascending aorta – the part of the aorta leaving the heart – are classed as Type A and treated with surgery. Those that occur in the descending aorta – the part that runs down through the chest and abdomen – are classed as Type B and were traditionally treated with surgery or medical management, depending on the severity of the dissection. “Open surgical repair of Type B aortic dissection has a high rate of mortality, which led to investigations of the effectiveness of endovascular aortic repair,” Dr. Keyhani said. “Medical management often resulted in later complications that could include renal failure, gastrointestinal ischemia leading to bowel resections,
or multi-organ failure and death. Now that data from clinical trials has shown a better outcome and lower mortality rates with endovascular repair, physicians in Houston have become more aggressive in treating patients using this minimally invasive approach.” While relatively rare, aortic dissection is the most common catastrophe of the aorta. “The classic presentation is a male patient between the ages of 40 and 70 who comes to the Emergency department with crushing back pain between the shoulder blades that began suddenly,” he said. “Many describe the pain as sharp, stabbing, tearing or ripping, but only a about half of patients present with See Vascular, P. 2B
Sisters Brandy Herrera and Ashley Banuelos always wanted to open a spa together.
By Betsy Denson
���������������� ��������� �����������
������ ����������������������������� ����������������� ������������������ ��������������������� ����������������� ����������������������������
���������������������������� ������������ ������������������������������ ����������������� ������������ ������������������������
���������������������������� ��������������������������� ����������������� ������������ �����������������������������
�����������������
betsy@theleadernews.com
Sisters Ashley Banuelos and Brandy Herrera might not have known that one day they’d be the owners of Pure Ritual Spa, 2136 Yale, Ste. C, but they always understood the value of some good grooming. “Growing up our mother always took us to get primped and prepped at spas – facials, waxing, massages, hair and nails,” said Banuelos. “She taught us the importance of keeping ourselves up because even if you don’t feel good, if you look good, it helps.” Both sisters graduated from Reagan High and started their esthetician training the same year. Brandy Herrera has been in the industry for more than 15 years, at Persona Day Spa and then at Nordstrom Spa. She says her time at Persona was a crash course in beauty and skin care regimens, for clients who “literally wanted to stop the aging process.” At Nordstrom, she expanded her knowledge and also learned to “have fun while providing the best services.” Ashley Banuelos spent a year working for herself as a mobile esthetician, doing facials and waxing for clients in the Houston area. Then she went to the American Laser Center where she performed laser hair removal, body shaping, and skin rejuvenation. See Spa, P. 2B
������������������������������ ��������������������� ��������� ����������������� �������������������������
����������������
�������������� ���������������� �������������������� ������������������ ������������ ������������������������������������
Heights resident Brandy Herrera, left, and her sister, Oak Forest resident Ashley Banuelos, opened Pure Ritual Spa, 2136 Yale Ste. C., in May. (Photo by Betsy Denson)
The Gift of Racing Get in Shape for Summer
with a Nutritional Lifestyle System by Jennifer Klein, PT
Heights resident Kay Crouch, center, raised money for HeartGift, along with her husband, Greg, and their friends. (Submitted photo)
Couple chooses a diferent route for their 45th anniversary While some couples may mark their 45th year of marriage with a nice dinner out, Heights residents Kay and Greg Crouch will hit the road. They’ll race Baja Bug in the world-famous 47th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race — one of the longest and most dangerous desert races in the world — all to raise money for HeartGift, a non profit organization that provides heart surgeries for children from other countries who don’t have access to specialized medical care. Kay is likely to be one of very few female “drivers of record” in the 2014 race, with last year’s race having only three women drivers of record
out of a total of 254 entries. In 2014, the Crouches are racing with the heartful mission of saving children’s lives. “Some people may not realize that nearly one in 100 children is affected by a congenital heart defect, and many children with these medical issues live in parts of the world that don’t afford them access to the specialized care they need,” said Kay, a HeartGift board member and President of Crouch Environmental Services, Inc., a company she co-founded with her husband Greg 20 years ago. “Greg and I are proud to support HeartGift...We invite Houstonians to go to www.heartgift.org and join us in helping to save
children’s lives.” The neon pink and purple HeartGift Baja Bug, newly made-over by ASAA Racing, will be showcased at various events throughout the summer. This event will be one of many stops the car makes throughout the summer leading up to the 1,130-mile race, which starts in Ensenada, Baja California and ends in La Paz, Baja California Sur. It takes place Nov. 12-16.For more information about supporting the HeartGift racing team, Houstonians can contact Kay Crouch at 713-868-1043 or Rachael Wright at 832-2706138. -Submitted story
It’s that time of year to spruce up your health and body by cleansing. More than just a way to get your body toned for swimsuit season, cleansing offers a surefire way to recharge, energize, and improve your overall health. Cleanse Days are what give you the “jump start” to results and benefits that are seen from participating in a nutritional lifestyle system. Here are five reasons why Cleanse Days will bring you results: “Jump Starts” Fat Burning The reduction of calories on Cleanse Days stimulates the body’s fat burning furnaces by increasing growth hormone while suppressing proteins responsible for fat synthesis and storage. The surge in growth hormone also helps protect against muscle breakdown as long as followed with intake of quality whey protein. Cleansing also appears to “reset” the food intake center in the brain since data shows less food is eaten days following fasting. Quality whey protein, the top choice compared to other sources of protein like soy) reduces muscle loss, total body fat and visceral fat and increases thermogenesis (metabolization of fat). Triggers Detoxification The stimulation of fat burning leads to reduction of fat deposits and a release of stored exogenous (environmental) toxins. The smaller the fat cells become, the less pro-inflammatory cytokines, or endogenous (inside the body) toxins, they produce. Cleansing facilitates detoxification of both endogenous and exogenous toxins. Improves Insulin Sensitivity A review of animal and human studies investigating intermittent or alternate-day fasting, or abstaining from food for one or two days in between normal calorie consumption days, found that fasting resets cellular sensiSee Summer Shape, P. 2B
��������
�������������� �������������������� ��������������������� ����������������� �������������
���������������
�������������������������� �������������������� ��������������������� ����������������� ������������������� ������������������ ������������
��������
����������������� ������������������� ��������������������� ������������������ ���������������������������
�����������
��������������� ��������������������������� ������������ �����������������������������