Not Your Father's Heart Bypass Surgery

Fort Wayne resident Josh Macy remembers when his father had quadruple bypass surgery when in his mid-30s. Josh was about 11 years old when he watched his father, a young, active man, struggle with a long recovery and setbacks related to the surgery.

“I remember having flashbacks about my dad—my Superman—unable to walk and weakened for months,” said Josh.

It was hard to watch, Josh admits, but that experience of seeing his dad's recovery from quadruple bypass surgery marked the beginning of his own commitment to living a healthy lifestyle, especially when it came to heart disease. He did not want to go through what his father had.

As an adult, Josh watched his diet and took up running. He encouraged his brother to do the same and take ownership of his health.

“Genetics are difficult to beat,” said Josh, now 38 years old and father of three.

When very young, both brothers had been diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, an inherited genetic condition that makes it more difficult for the body to rid itself of cholesterol or fatty deposits. These can build up in the arteries over time and increase a person’s risk of developing blockages, or worse, a heart attack.

Run Felt 'Sluggish'

While training in early 2022 for a Half Ironman, Josh noticed his running time on the treadmill was “very sluggish.”

“I was running a 10-, 10-and-a-half-minute mile instead of my usual 8-minute mile,” he said.

Anyone else may have chalked that up to “an off day,” but with his family history, Josh wasn’t taking any chances. He called his cardiologist in Fort Wayne, and the physician ordered a CT angiogram at Parkview Regional Medical Center. Within 48 hours, Josh went in for a cardiac catheterization. During this minimally invasive test, a cardiologist not only can diagnose and locate artery blockages but also place cardiac stents to open and keep those arteries open.

“I was expecting to possibly have a stent or two placed then, worst case,” he said. “But that’s not what happened.”

Like Father, Like Son

The catheterization revealed several lesions in Josh's heart vessels that could not be addressed with stents. Like with his father, open heart surgery would be needed.

The news rattled both him and his wife Kristen, he said. But Josh knew what he wanted to do next. For the past 15 years, Josh has worked with medical device and healthcare software companies, and he knew physicians and health systems across the Midwest and beyond. Being particularly interested in cardiac care, he was familiar with several surgeons. He wanted to find one that could best address his condition, taking into account his age and active lifestyle.

“I was ready to travel for the best care and outcome,” he said. He sent his images to several surgeons—about 10 total—including Marc Gerdisch, MD, with Cardiac Surgery Associates in Indianapolis. Josh was impressed when Dr. Gerdisch got back with him within 24 hours of Josh sending an email.

It’s not uncommon for surgeons to see young adults who need heart surgery, according to Dr. Gerdisch. “There are plenty of young people getting the surprise of their lives and then not knowing what to do next,” he said.

Dr. Gerdisch didn’t hesitate to refer Josh to his partner, Andrew Barksdale, MD, for bypass surgery. But not just ordinary bypass surgery, for Dr. Barksdale is skilled in a procedure that uses artery grafts from the arm instead of the traditional saphenous vein grafts from the leg to create new pathways for blood flow to the heart.

Procedure With Longer-Lasting Benefits

“We turn to arterial revascularization for many bypass patients, especially young patients like Josh,” said Dr. Barksdale. “This approach has been shown to have longer-lasting benefits—in fact many patients have little to no need of future interventions.”

Josh was reassured by Dr. Barksdale’s explanation about the procedure and his calm, direct approach.

“I had a ton of questions,” said Josh, “and Dr. Barksdale got back with me for every one by phone and email.”

Running After Recovery

Franciscan Health also impressed Josh because of the care team’s comprehensive recovery plan for surgery patients that begins even before surgery and extends for weeks after their procedure. The program, called Enhance Recovery After Surgery, includes a pre-procedure nutrition, activity and breathing exercises, pain management plan designed to nearly eliminate the need for opioids and early mobility after surgery. Coupled with the use of a rigid sternal fixation device to close the divided sternum bone in the chest, the program enables patients to go home in days and resume most normal activities—including driving—very quickly.

“When discussing recovery, Dr. Gerdisch said Dr. Barksdale could have me back playing golf in one month,” said Josh. “This gave me a goal to work toward but also gave me confidence for a swift recovery for my family.”

The enhanced recovery program delivered just that—Josh reported to his surgeon that four weeks after surgery he completed 18 holes of golf, shooting 82. And that was after running 2 miles two weeks after surgery and returning to work after three weeks.

Pairing the best procedure for a patient plus a program designed to get patients back home and their lives is something all patients deserve, according to Josh, and he’s grateful to have found both at Franciscan Health.

“This is why this is the place for you,” he said. “I believe in this care plan because it helps patients get back to normal quickly but with a long-term quality of life in mind. Working with cardiovascular programs across the country, I often share my story and they are simply amazed at the outcomes I’ve been able to achieve post operatively. I’m so appreciative of the care I received within the Franciscan program.”