Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Matters of the Heart
Expert cardiac surgery at Jersey Shore gives two
local patients a second chance at life.
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MeridianHealth.com • 1-800-DOCTORS
omething was terribly wrong
when Howard Ambrose awoke
early on December 7, 2011.
The 67-year-old Lakewood man
couldn’t stop coughing up blood
and was having trouble breathing.
Howard’s wife, Linda, immediately
called paramedics, who rushed
Howard to Jersey Shore University
Medical Center, part of Meridian
CardioVascular Network.
Doctors there quickly discovered
that a hole in Howard’s aorta, the
body’s largest artery, had caused
blood to leak and collect outside
the artery wall. This bulge, called
a pseudoaneurysm, had burst,
causing life-threatening internal
bleeding. Howard needed surgery
right away.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Benjamin
Youdelman, M.D., and interventional
radiologist Rajiv Biswal, M.D.,
both on staff at Jersey Shore,
teamed up in the operating room
to repair Howard’s aorta and
cut off the pseudoaneurysm’s
blood supply.
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Brook A. Dejene, M.D.
Board certified in General
Surgery and Thoracic Surgery
Neptune • 732-776-4618
Benjamin A. Youdelman, M.D.
Board certified in General
Surgery and Thoracic Surgery
Neptune • 732-776-4622
Sophisticated Techniques
To treat Howard, Dr. Youdelman
performed a minimally invasive
procedure called a thoracic
endovascular aortic repair. Using
thin tubes called catheters,
Dr. Youdelman inserted a device
called a stent graft into the aorta to
reinforce it and divert blood from
the pseudoaneurysm. Then Dr. Biswal
placed a metal plug in a branch vessel
of the aorta to prevent blood from
going to the pseudoaneurysm.
Howard spent just three days in the
hospital. “Dr. Youdelman took the time
to explain everything to our family, so
we always knew exactly what was going
to happen,” Howard says. “He had a very
calm way of discussing what he was
going to do, what his expectations were,
and what he’d do if he encountered a
problem during surgery. His bedside
manner just blew us all away.”
Repairing an Aneurysm
Ocean resident Gail Fellenz enjoyed
the same quick recovery after her
heart surgery in October 2011. In fact,
she was back to a normal lifestyle
within two weeks.
After being diagnosed with a
tear in her aorta, Gail’s cardiologist,
Maurice Weiss, M.D., who is on staff
at Jersey Shore, recommended she
consult with Brook Dejene, M.D., a
cardiothoracic surgeon also on staff
at the Medical Center. Dr. Dejene
closely monitored Gail’s condition
for six months. After the tear caused
an aneurysm to develop in her aorta,
Dr. Dejene performed endovascular
aortic stent grafting at Jersey Shore.
“With this sophisticated
procedure, most patients spend only
a day in the Intensive Care Unit
and then go home after the
second or third day,” Dr. Dejene
explains. “Open surgery, on the
other hand, requires putting the
patient on a heart-lung machine,
a lengthy hospitalization, and a
recovery that can take months.”
Gail stayed in the hospital three
days before returning home.
“Dr. Dejene did a great job. He
and Dr. Weiss really kept a close
eye on me,” Gail says. “Having
the surgery took a load off my
mind because if the aneurysm had
ruptured, it could have truly been
life-threatening. Dr. Dejene was
cautious and careful, and after the
surgery, he came in and assured me
that everything was OK. The whole
staff was wonderful.”
Bright Future
Dr. Youdelman says there are
two keys to successful cardiac
surgery at Jersey Shore. “The first is
making sure each surgical candidate
is carefully evaluated for the right
procedure at the right time,” he says.
“The second is our incredible team
of surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, and
staff, plus other available specialists,
r. Youdelman took the time to explain
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everything to our family, so we always knew
exactly what was going to happen. He had a calm
way of discussing what he was going to do. His
bedside manner just blew us all away.”
– Howard Ambrose
Howard Ambrose (shown at left with his wife, Linda)
is feeling good enough to garden and grill again
after undergoing heart surgery at Jersey Shore.
Gail Fellenz (below), who also had heart surgery
at Jersey Shore, is already planning her next trip —
a family cruise to the Caribbean.
Meridian
CardioVascular
Network: Proven
Outcomes Show
That Experience
Counts
Jersey Shore University Medical
Center’s highly experienced
cardiac surgeons perform
more than 850 traditional
and minimally invasive heart
surgeries annually. Jersey
Shore is the only hospital in
Monmouth and Ocean counties
licensed to perform open-heart
surgery, and its outcomes rival
the nation’s finest.
who all do their part to ensure
each patient has the best possible
outcome.”
For Howard and Gail, that means
seeing a world of possibilities ahead.
Gail’s surgery has enabled her to
continue volunteer work with her
church, and she’s looking forward to
traveling more in the years to come.
Howard and Linda took a cruise
to Alaska in May 2012 to celebrate their
40th wedding anniversary. They expect
many more good times ahead.
“I’m enjoying spending time with
my two small grandsons, and I like
cooking, helping in the kitchen, and
growing vegetables in my garden,”
Howard says. “I’m very happy.” l
Recognized for Expertise in Cardiology and Heart Surgery
Patients needing heart surgery can know they’re in good hands at
Jersey Shore University Medical Center, which was recently named
high-performing in cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.
• Coronary artery bypass
graft surgery
• Off-pump coronary artery
bypass grafting
• Aortic valve replacement
• Mitral valve replacement
• Minimally invasive
heart valve replacement
and repair
• Endoscopic vein harvesting
• Maze procedure for
atrial fibrillation
• Transcatheter aortic valve
replacement (TAVR) for
patients with critical
aortic stenosis
Meridian HealthViews • July/August 2012
Part of Meridian CardioVascular
Network, Jersey Shore offers
the most complete range of heart
and vascular services across the
region, including:
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