Nearly two decades ago, Jean Jacques was diagnosed with a leaky aortic valve in her heart. She was told that, someday, she might need to have it replaced. Jean also has Hashimoto’s disease, a progressive thyroid disease. “Everything is sluggish, especially when you have an episode—or a ‘storm’ as they call them.”
Jean had one such storm last spring. Her doctor adjusted her medications and she attributed her lingering fatigue to the busyness of life. Months later, she had an abnormal EKG and developed palpitations.
“I went on Metoprolol and it calmed them down,” she recalls. Even as a retired as a community health worker and educator who helped Manchester’s homeless population, Jean didn’t think much of the palpitations, fatigue, or the occasional shortness of breath, which she assumed was asthma-related. “I was explaining my symptoms away.”
CMC’s New England Heart & Vascular Institute cardiologist Dr. Steven Beaudette, ordered further testing which revealed, “The mild to moderate leakage [in my valve] had gone to severe in a month. The day before I was supposed to go to Florida he called me about surgery.”
Jean wanted some time to discuss the options with her family. Then, she got a sign.
“I had a picture of an angel hanging on the wall of my living room for years. Overnight, it fell off the wall and the prayer beads hanging from it went flying across the room. I thought, ‘God’s trying to get my attention, I’m not listening. I’m listening now.’”
Her aortic valve was replaced November 16th by a team led by Dr. Gerald Sardella, one of CMC’s four cardiothoracic surgeons. From tests and surgery prep, to the procedure and recovery, Jean says “everyone was top notch. You could see the caliber of knowledge and experience along with the human piece. Never did I think of going anywhere else.”
That combination of skill and compassion is why the New England Heart & Vascular Institute is among Healthgrades’ America’s 50 Best Cardiac Surgery programs. It is also recognized by Healthgrades as a five-star recipient for coronary artery bypass surgery and valve surgery, and received an excellence award for cardiac surgery.
“The specialty of cardiac surgery is constantly evolving and we have a very strong tradition here of staying on the cutting edge,” says CMC Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dr. David Caparrelli. “When you come to CMC for cardiac surgery, you can be confident you’re getting the most state-of-the-art care.”
“With more than 60 providers, we have just about every aspect of cardiac care covered by someone who is a leader in their field,” says New England Heart & Vascular Institute Executive Medical Director Dr. Louis Fink. ”But we balance that technology and expertise with a culture of truly caring for our patients. It’s a really great combination.”
Jean describes a sense of calm before the operation, as if she was surrounded by angels. In fact, when Fr. Bartholomew Ogumelu visited the night before surgery, “He picked out a prayer about angels! My husband squeezed my hand, I was crying in joy.”
Jean felt informed every step of the way, knowing what to expect when she woke up from surgery. Three weeks later, she started cardiac rehabilitation.
“The team here works very well together and we’re able to communicate what the patient’s needs are,” notes Dr. Caparrelli. “We also have a very strong relationship with those patients so moving forward after heart surgery, we’re able to deliver excellent collaborative care.”
“I never was afraid. Never,” says Jean. “I was so at peace because I was in phenomenal hands and I knew God had this all figured out.”