His Heart Failing, Venice Man Saved by Team of Cardiac Specialists at Venice Regional

5/27/2020

Walt Bertero was dying, and he didn't know it.

"I was kind of tired and had cold sweats," said Bertero, 82. "I thought I had a cold."

But his wife, Bernadette, was concerned. A nurse for 27 years and now a faculty member in a Sarasota-area nursing program, she knew that Walt's symptoms might be something more.

The couple was planning to go north for Thanksgiving in November 2015, but since Walt had required an angioplasty (balloon to expand a heart blood vessel) in 2001, Bernadette wanted him to get checked out before they traveled.

Bernadette's instincts were impeccable. Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving in New Jersey, the Berteros spent 17 days at Venice Regional Bayfront Health as Walt experienced what one surgeon called "the most challenging and complex case" of his career.

They call it "The Widow-maker"

A commercial roofer in New Jersey, Walt Bertero inhaled the fumes of tar, asphalt and fiberglass as he applied noxious chemicals to rooftops. A smoker from the age of about 15, Walt admits he wasn't doing himself any favors in the health department.

In 2001, he had an abnormal reading on an EKG, showing an irregular heartbeat. A routine look-see in a catheter lab at a New Jersey hospital found a partially blocked blood vessel. The physician inserted a balloon to expand the vessel, and symptoms were resolved, Bernadette recalled.

"He had no issues after that and was following up with his cardiologist," she said. "He was doing fine."

The couple settled into their retirement dream life in Venice in 2015. Then, in November, before the planned Thanksgiving trip, Walt felt under the weather. At Bernadette's urging, he scheduled a visit to Bradley Hupp, M.D., Walt's primary physician with Gulf Coast Medical Group.

But Walt ended up in the emergency room that Friday, instead.

Bernadette was enjoying a swim at the couple's community pool when Walt drove up.

"He wanted me to take him to the hospital. He was just taking out the trash and started to feel faint," Bernadette said.

Arriving at the emergency department at Venice Regional, Walt was whisked into examination. Edward Bermudez, M.D., FACC was the interventional cardiologist on duty. A partner of Balzano, Bermudez led the team that assessed Walt's condition.

Their findings: Walt had suffered a heart attack that probably began days earlier.

Walt was admitted to the hospital that day and prepped for a visit to the catheterization lab, which had been newly renovated and equipped with enhanced imaging technology. Using equipment in the lab, Dr. Bermudez employs minimally invasive surgical techniques that can resolve many issues related to blocked blood vessels.

Dr. Bermudez specializes in locating and clearing blockages in blood vessels in and around the heart. Thinking the patient would likely need a stent or angioplasty, Dr. Bermudez found that Walt's major blood vessels supplying the heart were seriously blocked with plaque and calcification.

In fact, Walt had what is known as "The Widow-maker," a blockage that one day suddenly and completely cuts off blood supply to the "trunk" of the tree, causing all the "branches" to die. Dr. Bermudez consulted with the cardiac surgery team at Venice Regional.

Walt would need by-pass surgery, and not your average procedure.

Arteries filled with concrete

The team installed a balloon pump on Saturday to keep Walt's heart going and tried medication to stabilize his heart rhythm, but Walt's heart did not respond as well. On Monday, Walt was wheeled into surgery.

After a complex, open-heart surgical procedure, Walt was recovering, but his heart rhythms still were not as they should be. The day after surgery, his heart failed again and Walt had to be resuscitated.

Enter another member of Venice Regional's team of cardiac specialists: Dilip J. Mathew, M.D., FACC, FHRS, board-certified in cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology. Dr. Mathew focuses his practice on managing heart rhythm disorders. The day after Thanksgiving, Dr. Mathew implanted the two devices designed to regulate Walt's heartbeat.

Tenacious will to live

"You could tell the cardiac team - the surgeons and nurses - are used to working together. They were a well-oiled machine," said Bernadette, who monitored Walt's care at Venice Regional with a sharp and knowledgeable eye. "The team explained everything to us, and the nurses kept me informed during the surgeries. The nurses (in intensive care and the medical floor) did everything they were supposed to do. Walt had excellent care. We are so grateful that they took such good care of him.

Seventeen days after arriving at Venice Regional's ER, Walt went home with Bernadette. He quit smoking - cold turkey - and after completing cardiac rehabilitation at Venice Regional as an outpatient, he joined the Venice YMCA. His routine includes four different cardio exercises totaling an hour, three times a week. Walt plans to add weight training to his fitness program, eventually.

If you or a loved one have questions about heart health, or if you need help finding a physician, visit our physician directory.

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