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A Whole Lotta Heart
One man and his family were cared for heart and soul at two Meridian hospitals as they faced his life-threatening heart failure, his resultant open-heart surgery, and his ultimate recovery.
Like he normally did each week for the past 25 years, Adam Lasota followed dinner with his family on November 30, 2005, with a trip to the basketball court. That night would prove to be anything but normal for this 58-year-old Middletown resident, however, when an hour of expected hoops turned into an eight-hour blur of emergency medical treatments and surgical precision that would ultimately save his life.
Quick on Their Feet
Within minutes of taking the court, Adam started experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. He was rushed by ambulance to Riverview's Alton A. Hovnanian Emergency Care Center, where the physicians and nurses treating him rapidly, diagnosed him and sent him for an emergency catheterization. The experienced team of cardiologists attempted an angioplasty, but the vessel blockage was too severe. So they placed a temporary pacemaker and intubated Adam for transfer to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, the region's leading cardiac treatment center.
With his heart failing and with the aid of an intra-aortic balloon pump, Adam arrived at Jersey Shore at 2:00 a.m.
Richard Neibart, M.D., chief of cardiac surgery at Jersey Shore, was waiting there with his team. "The team at Riverview is skilled in cardiac care and is able to recognize immediately when advanced surgical care is required," Dr. Neibart declares. "They called us to make sure we'd be ready for Adam's arrival and that we understood the seriousness of his condition. We performed an emergency double bypass operation."
Not Out of the Woods Yet
Since first offering cardiac surgery 15 years ago, Jersey Shore has built a solid national reputation. Year after year, the hospital's cardiac program has ranked among the top in the area, continually achieving New Jersey's best actual mortality rate for openheart procedures, like Adam's.
Still, because Adam's heart attack was very severe, there were some complications from his surgery. He was placed on a ventilator and underwent temporary dialysis. This was understandably a very difficult time for the Lasota family as they waited to see if Adam would survive.
Adam's wife, Marge, and his kids, Eric and Jessica, were on the Intensive Care Unit every day for six weeks, going home just to sleep at night. "I couldn't believe the support everyone at Jersey Shore provided me and my family, from
Dr. Woode in the ICU, who said he wouldn't go home until he knew Adam was doing better, to the nurses," says Marge. "The nurses were like angels. They became part of our family, always comforting the kids and taking time to stay with us after visiting hours — just making sure we were okay too."
A Family Finds Strength
Marge is quick to acknowledge the many people who were instrumental in her husband's care. "I can't remember the names of each and every person, but I am grateful to all of them just the same. Reverend Harrington was really there for us and prayed with us every day, which was such a comfort."
"And I can't say enough about Dr. Neibart," Marge continues. "He took the time to explain things and was always available to answer questions." She pauses a moment to reflect: "If anything ever happened to me, God forbid, I'd tell them to take me to Jersey Shore. They were just so good there, and I will never, never forget the people who helped us. They put in everything they had to save Adam and to comfort us along the way."
Marge concludes, "We know that Adam has a lot of continued rehabilitation ahead of him. But he never gives up and is working hard. We are able to go on walks together, and he is doing well with his weight exercises. Our kids have been there every step of the way. Thanks to the teams at Riverview and Jersey Shore, Adam will be with us for a long time."
 – Ryan Younger
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