Two Heart Surgeries, One Beat: How Joe Defied the Odds

Two days later, Joe woke up. He didn’t know he had endured two heart surgeries in one day. And he didn’t know how close he came to a different outcome.  

After a week in the hospital, Joe went home to heal. It wasn’t easy—some days were better than others. He recalls a feeling of progress, though, when he was able to start physical therapy. “That’s when I knew I was getting better,” he says. 

During one of his physical therapy sessions, Joe spotted the nurse who had spoken to him the night before his surgery. “She told me how lucky I was to be here,” says Joe. “She said people usually don’t survive bleeding from an aorta. They don’t come back from that.”   

The conversation hit a chord with him. He realized then how serious and significant his condition and the surgeries had been. “So, I wrote a song about it,” says Joe.  

In fact, he wrote an entire album in the months that followed his surgery. Writing songs that reflected his experience was cathartic for the musician. “The song called Code Blue goes pretty deep in my heart. But there are happy ones, too,” he says. 

Lifesaving Teamwork  

After being very sick, Joe went home with a functioning mitral valve and heart. 

These outcomes required a high level of expertise in surgical techniques and technology—and teamwork. 

Behind Joe was an expert cardiac surgery team, working together through each step of his care. First, the cardiologist made the diagnosis. Then, his team expanded to include an anesthesiologist and perfusionist. In addition to his surgeons, the operating room staff included physician assistants, nurses and technicians. Life-saving outcomes take a team.   

The hospital’s affiliation with Emory Clinic’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2020 has brought comprehensive care to more people. St. Francis-Emory Healthcare has the only open-heart surgery program in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley.  

And all cardiac services and cardiology practices are consolidated under one roof, making care more convenient for patients.  

It's a critical asset to the community, which is over 100 miles from greater health care options in Atlanta. Having an open-heart surgery program near allows people to stay in their community, eliminates travel woes and supports relatives and caregivers in staying close to home for recovery needs.