Baptist Health South Florida

William Stixrud, an 80-year-old retired civil engineer and former U.S. ambassador, experienced a life-threatening type A aortic dissection while at his home in Guatemala.

After collapsing, he was rushed to a local hospital where doctors quickly realized they lacked the necessary resources to treat his condition. 

Faced with a critical decision, his family worked with Baptist Health International’s Coordination of Care team to arrange an urgent transfer to Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. There, a multidisciplinary team, led by Dr. Mehrdad Ghoreishi, was prepared to perform the complex surgery required to save his life. Upon arrival, Mr. Stixrud was taken immediately into surgery, where Dr. Ghoreishi and his team performed a total aortic arch replacement and aortic root operation.

Thanks to the expertise of Dr. Ghoreishi and the seamless coordination provided by Baptist Health International, Mr. Stixrud's surgery was successful, and his recovery has been remarkable. Grateful for the exceptional care he received, Mr. Stixrud is now looking forward to spending more time with his family and enjoying new experiences.

Shane Foster, a 59-year-old from the Cayman Islands, turned to Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute when he needed complex heart surgery to replace a leaky aortic valve. With a long family history of relying on Baptist Health for specialized care, Shane had no doubt where to go when faced with the possibility of a traditional open-heart surgery. However, his hope was to find an expert capable of performing a minimally invasive procedure to speed up his recovery and minimize discomfort. 

Fortunately, he connected with Dr. Tom Nguyen, an internationally recognized minimally invasive heart surgeon who had recently joined the Institute. Dr. Nguyen performed the valve replacement using the latest techniques, allowing Shane to return to his active outdoor lifestyle in just a few weeks. After a successful surgery, Shane was up and walking the day after the procedure and fully recovered within a month. Reflecting on his experience, Shane expressed immense gratitude for the care he received, noting that Baptist Health is "blessed" to have state-of-the-art facilities, exceptional surgeons like Dr. Nguyen, and a highly skilled medical staff.

Thanks to Baptist Health's expertise and seamless telehealth capabilities, Shane was able to access world-class care while living in the Cayman Islands, ensuring a smooth recovery and return to his beloved watersport activities.