Surgeons use glue to hold together a man’s heart in a rare medical case
Al Adams has only been out of the hospital for three weeks, and the glue that doctors used to fix his heart is still keeping him alive today.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A miracle, that’s what doctors are saying after glue held a patient’s heart together and saved his life.
Al Adams has only been out of the hospital for three weeks, and the glue that doctors at Rochester Regional Health used to fix his heart is still keeping him alive today.
“Like I said I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for any of them. I’d be gone,” said Al Adams.
68-year-old Al Adams had a heart attack in September 2019 and had to be airlifted to Rochester Regional. While there, Adam’s says his heart burst and doctors had to use medical-grade super glue to put it back together.
“Actually had a free wall rupture of his left ventricle which is very rare and often not survivable,” said Scott Feitell, director of heart failure, Sands-Constellation Heart Institute.
His wife also making the journey to be by his side the whole time.
“You were with me all the while,” said Adams.
The lead surgeon for the case says what the couple went through it not something surgeons see often.
“Its what we call a widow’s maker liaison. That’s how sometimes people die suddenly and you were able to survive that and then survive the rupture of the ventricle tear of the ventricle and the two eco runs later I can’t think of anyone who is luckier than you are,” said Soon Park MD, surgeon at Rochester Regional Health.
After multiple surgeries, Adams was able to walk out of the hospital and go home.
“So thankful because actually what happened was my heart burst while I was here also and they glued it back together. So I wouldn’t have made it,” said Adams.
A medical device is pumping blood through Adams’ heart and he will carry this bag for the rest of his life, but Adams says other than that, his life hasn’t changed much.
“I won’t be able to go swimming but to tell you the truth I don’t know how to swim anyway. So I really didn’t have to give up anything,” said Adams.
Adams was able to walk out of the hospital, something doctors say is a miracle. He does have a permanent pump in his heart and will have to do check-ups every three months, but otherwise, he says he feels healthy and wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for doctors are Rochester Regional Health.
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