Family ties: brothers undergo bypass surgery in the same month
Heart disease has a strong genetic link, so it isn’t unusual for Reid Hospital physicians to treat two or even three members of the same family. Somewhat unusual is for a Reid heart surgeon to operate on two brothers in the same month. That’s exactly what happened with Centerville natives Ron and Mike Moore.
Ron, 47, came to Reid in April 2011 for a heart scan, a 15-minute procedure that uses computed tomography scanning to identify calcium buildup in the heart’s arteries. Although his test results were not a cause for concern, his symptoms — including shortness of breath and chest pain — were. Additional tests indicated significant blockages in his arteries. Reid cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. John Kuhn performed a quadruple bypass on Ron in April 2011.
Three weeks later, Mike Moore, 50, was at Reid Hospital, accompanying his next door neighbor, Dennis Harrington, for a cardiac testing appointment. Afterward, Reid interventional cardiologist Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza came into the hallway to tell Mike that Dennis needed bypass surgery. When Mike mentioned that he had been experiencing chest pain for six months, Dr. Mirza urged him to undergo testing as soon as possible. A few days later Mike did, and learned that he, too, needed bypass surgery. Dr. Kuhn operated on Mike and Dennis the following week.
By the time Mike and Dennis were ready for cardiac rehabilitation therapy, Ron had been in the program for three weeks. But his progress was slow. “I didn’t have any energy or an appetite and I just felt awful,” says Ron. “Dr. Kuhn really listened to my concerns, and felt like the problem was my medication. He made some adjustments and I started to improve right away.”
The three men finished their cardiac rehab last summer and report that they are feeling better than they have for a long time. “I’m not a big fan of surgery, but Reid’s heart program is awesome,” says Mike. “Probably one of smartest things the hospital ever did was invest in its heart program. They’ve done a real good job of perfecting it. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
For more information about the Reid Heart and Vascular Center, call (765) 983-3255.
