by Lawrence Wilson, MD

HEART OR CORONARY BYPASS SURGERY

One of the most popular heart operations today is often called bypass surgery. It involves opening up the chest and replacing one or more of the coronary arteries that may be blocked. It is replaced with either an artificial artery made of a plastic material, or replacing it with a vein that is taken from another part of the body and essentially transplanted in place of the diseased or clogged coronary artery.

Many holistic doctors, myself included, believe that heart bypass surgery is one of the worst and least necessary surgeries that one can have. While it might be necessary in a few rare cases, natural methods of care can accomplish the same thing without the side effects, cost and dangers of coronary bypass surgery.

PROBLEMS WITH HEART BYPASS SURGERY

Often when a person goes to the emergency room with pain in the heart area, angina or a heart attack, doctors diagnose one of more clogged coronary arteries and immediately recommend heart bypass surgery – often scheduling it for the next day. If the patient objects, he is often frightened into the surgery with dire warnings by the medical staff of the hospital. I have seen this happen over and over. So let us present the other side of the story that is rarely told to the patient. Problems with this surgery abound, and include:

1. Depletion of vital nutrients. This is a result of the stress of surgery and the use of massive amounts of anesthesia and other drugs during and after the surgery. These nutrients are not easily replaced with either food or nutritional supplements, as they are subtle in many cases.

Bypass surgery is often a long, complex surgery so a lot of anesthesia is required. This builds up in the body and damages it in all cases.

2. Mental impairment. This is a common result with this surgery. It is due to toxicity due to anesthesia, other drugs used in and after surgery, and nutritional depletion as a result of the same causes. It is particularly important because of the length of many bypass surgeries, which expose the brain and body to large amounts of toxic anesthesia drugs. Residues of these drugs remain in the brain, usually for life.

3. Other complications of surgery. Every major surgery carries risks of infections, blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and other complications.

4. Often drug dependency. Usually, after surgery the doctor prescribes a host of drugs such as blood thinners, anti-hypertensive medications and others that the patient must take after surgery, often for years. One reason for this is that the doctor has not addressed the cause of the heart blockage, and just treats the symptoms with more toxic drugs that further worsen one’s health and shorten the lifespan.

5. Far worse overall health, as a result of the above.

6. Relapses. At times, the new stints, as they are called, or arteries, clog up after several years. This occurs because little attention has been paid to the actual cause of the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

7. Other. This surgery is often very costly, and the drugs prescribed afterwards are also costly. This is a severe burden for many people, even those with insurance.

NUTRITIONAL BALANCING CAN OFTEN CLEAR BLOCKED ARTERIES

I have worked with a number of people who originally complained of angina pain, or had been told they required bypass surgery. In all cases, provided they followed the correct diet, took their nutritional supplements and lived a healthful lifestyle, their symptoms improved and no surgery was ever needed. In addition, their overall health improved dramatically as they reduced the load of toxic metals, toxic chemicals and infections in their bodies.

WHAT CAUSES OF CLOGGED ARTERIES?

Based on our research, they include the presence of toxic metals in the arteries that weaken them, make them rigid and brittle, and cause inflammation. Chief among these is cadmium, which replaces zinc, a mineral needed for the flexibility and health of the arteries. Another is copper in excess, which damages all connective tissue including the arteries and veins. Other toxic metals may be involved as well.

Another cause is nutrient deficiencies. This can include trace minerals, vitamins such as vitamin A, B, C, D and E, primarily, and nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are deficient in almost everyone today.

Another cause is generalized inflammation of the body. This is often caused by excess accumulation of iron, manganese, aluminum and other metals in the form of oxides. These are extremely irritating to the body. While one can take anti-oxidants to offset their effects somewhat, the best solution is to remove them. This is easy to do with a nutriitonal balancing program.

Emotional stress or other stress can also cause heart problems in some cases, as can infections in some cases.

All of the biochemical causes of clogged arteries can generally be reversed with a nutritional balancing program that removes the toxic metals, restores the nutrients the body requires, and gently and delicately balances the body chemistry. I also recommend the Roy Masters meditation exercise, a Judeo-Christian meditation practice, along with regular prayer, which will reduce stress and help one control the emotions.

WHAT ABOUT CHELATION THERAPY?

Many holistic doctors and naturopaths use chelation therapy for arteriosclerosis, angina and other heart problems. Chelation is the use of substances, either natural or synthetic drugs, that strongly bind to toxic metals and remove them from the body.

While it is better than most bypass surgery, I do not recommend it and I never have needed it. Instead, nutritional balancing will remove ALL of the toxic metals, not just a few, much more thoroughly and much more safely. All of the problems with chelation therapy are discussed in a separate article entitled Chelation Therapy.

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