“It was a big relief to have surgery here; we would recommend Charlton to anyone.”
When the pain did not subside after 90 minutes, he woke his wife, Sheila. Sheila did not wait. She called 911 immediately. Washburn was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital where he was determined to be one of the lucky ones — he had not had a heart attack. But, even after four days in the hospital, he still was not feeling like himself when he got home.
“I knew something was not right,” Sheila said. “He was so sluggish.”
A visit to Washburn’s cardiologist Eric Levine, MD, and a subsequent cardiac catheterization by Dr. Levine’s colleague, Paul Vivino, MD, revealed four blocked arteries in Washburn’s heart. Washburn needed open heart surgery to correct the problem.
“Dr. Vivino told us we could go to a Boston hospital, but we would probably have to wait five or six weeks for an appointment,” Washburn said. “He suggested we go to Charlton instead. He said they had a very good program there and we could get in right away.”
Washburn’s surgery was scheduled for November, but he was found to have fluid in his lungs during preoperative testing. A treatment regimen was prescribed to clear up the fluid before surgery.
“It was particularly fortunate that Mr. Washburn was able to have his cardiac surgery in the same community where he usually received his health care,” said Christian Campos, MD, the cardiac surgeon who eventually performed surgery on Washburn. “The cardiologist who knew him best was able to give him the medical attention he needed to clear up medical problems and optimize his condition before surgery. That is very important to a good outcome.”
Dr. Campos performed surgery on Washburn on Friday, December 1.
“The entire cardiac team was great,” Sheila said. “There
is just something about Dr. Campos that puts you at ease.”
“He took time to explain everything to us in language we could understand,” Washburn said. “Deb Furtado, the Case Coordinator, and all the nurses were so upbeat and reassuring. They told us everything to expect and they were right about everything.”
“A great advantage to having cardiac surgery at Charlton is the time our team is able to take educating a patient and his or her family, beforehand, on what is about to happen,” Dr. Campos said. “When patients know what to expect and what preparations they need to make for their return home, they have less anxiety, can return home sooner and are more satisfied.”
The Washburns couldn’t agree more.
“We really felt like we received personalized care,” Sheila said.
“It was a big relief to have surgery here,” Washburn said.
“We would recommend Charlton to anyone.
