FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamondCharlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
Naples man one of first to undergo heart surgery with local anesthesia. (Credit: WINK News) A Naples man recently underwent a life-saving surgery that might not have been possible if it weren’t for a creative solution by the heart team at NCH. He is like many patients who present a great risk of going under general anesthesia. Casey Wolff has the lung capacity of a man twice his age born with a genetic condition that causes emphysema, breathing is a challenge. Wolff said, “And it wasn’t until I was down to oxygen 24 hours a day. And I was still suffocating, that I knew there was something else besides the lungs.” As it turns out, a heart repair that was done years before was failing. Wolff needed a new mitral valve. Doctors at NCH weighed the risk of surgery with the real possibility that he might not wake up from general anesthesia. Dr. Robert Cubeddu is the president of the NCH heart institute. He came up with a plan to give Wolff the life-saving surgery he needed. Cubeddu said, “He was at prohibitive risk for an open heart operation, which is traditionally the way we’ve done this. And this was really the only way out for him.” Wolff said, “He came in one day, and he said, ‘see you Monday, we got this one figured out. We’ll tackle it.'” Using a minimally invasive approach, surgeons pierced the femoral artery in his leg and threaded a balloon catheter up to his heart. A new mitral valve was delivered through the heart and put in place by inflating the balloon. The procedure is not uncommon. What’s unique is that Wolff is one of the few people in the country to undergo a complex mitral valve repair under local anesthesia. Cubeddu said, “So it is quite minimal. It’s pretty much what we use when you go to the dentist and have a root canal. Very similar.” NCH performed the surgery under conscious sedation. Numbing the skin with lidocaine and giving the patient a light sedative, similar to a dental procedure. After one night in the hospital, Wolff went home a new man with a fully functional new heart valve. Cubeddu said, “It’s good to know that we can count on alternate solutions for that one specific population or subset of patients where general anesthesia represents a high risk. Wolff said, “Yeah, you should’ve seen me about a week ago. That’s the difference between death and no death.” Breathing easier now, his one-week follow-up showed the valve doing its job. Before coming to Naples, Cubeddu was part of the first published case in the world that first replaced a mitral valve under local anesthesia. This technique is used in other heart repairs, but this one is more complex.