A delicate heart operation performed by a Montreal Jewish surgeon has saved the life of a man who might otherwise have lived only for a few months longer, the Toronto Star reports. The operation was performed by Dr. Arthur Vineberg, at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.
The patient, Horace W. Watkins, 52, a General Electric plant inspector, said today that he is feeling fit and hopeful for another 20 years of life. Dr. Vineberg grafted a piece of the omentum – vascular tissue forming part of the apron in the stomach covering various organs -, over the heart muscle in order to supplement the blood supply of the heart. Mr. Watkins, who has been hit by three severe heart attacks in the last two years, was suffering from coronary insufficiency, as the degenerating heart muscle was unable to fulfill its job.
Before the operation, he says, he was unable to walk the 40 yards from his home to the corner. Now, although he realizes “it will be at least two months before the grafted substance has completely taken hold,” he can walk up and down outside his house, climb the stairs without difficulty and can’t wait to get back to his fishing and hunting, the Toronto Star says.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
