Heart and vascular surgeons at Yale New Hospital helped make one patient’s Valentine’s Day a heart-warming one to remember.
Patient John Pesavento, 60 of Bridgeport, CT, was told early Sunday morning that a donor heart from northern New England was available to him. The Yale New Haven heart transplant team was busy making provisions and arrangements to receive the donor heart in anticipation of the transplant surgery that would take place Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening.
No details were available how the donor heart became available.
Mr. Pesavento has been on a left ventricle assist device (LVAD) for the past year and half since June, 2015 He was diagnosed with end stage heart failure stemming from complications more than 20 years ago following a heart attack. He was listed as a heart transplant recipient for the past year.
Pictured at Yale New Haven Hospital Sunday morning in anticipation of receiving a new heart are, left to right, daughter Kristen Pesavento, patient John Pesavento and his wife Ruth, all from Bridgeport.
Yale New Haven Hospital doctors are seen preparing the just-arrived heart in the OR prior to surgery.
Dr. Pramod Bonde readies the new heart for implantation into the patient. The surgical procedure will take about 6 hours to complete.
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