OSCEOLA, Fla. — A unique method to treat blocked arteries in the heart is being utilized in Osceola County. Doctors at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital are performing bypass surgery without stopping the patient’s heart. It’s called off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery and isn’t done routinely anywhere else in the Orlando region.
“It boggled my mind that someone could do this kind of surgery while the heart was still pumping away,” Bill Delia, a patient who went through the surgery, said.
After a routine stress test with his cardiologist, the 77-year-old Clermont resident found out he failed! He had four blocked arteries that would require bypass surgery. Because of his age and suffering from a-fib, he was a candidate for off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
“For us to do the same sort of bypass surgery, to do the same heart surgery without having to stop the heart or put them on the heart-lung machine, is a significant advantage,” Dr. Steven Hoff, the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, said.
He’s performed thousands of these procedures. A landmark study published in January shows that keeping the heart pumping during surgery is safer for the patient and improves recovery.
“In experienced hands, if you can have your bypass surgery done without stopping the heart or on the heart-lung machine, it reduces early complications and mortality by an average of 20%,” Dr. Hoff said.
One week after surgery, Delia was cleared to continue recovery at home. Five months later, he is back to enjoying everything he was before, but with a better mindset.
“I’m doing music, I started a new novel, I’m back on the golf course,” Delia said. “I still don’t play very well. I wish Dr. Hoff could’ve fixed that, but he couldn’t. I appreciate every day now and know I’ve been very blessed by all of this.”
Dr. Hoff said you can minimize your risk of heart disease by not smoking, drinking in moderation, and exercising regularly. He said if you are experiencing abnormal heart symptoms, contact a cardiologist.
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