Patients, Cardiology Care Team Reconnect at Heart Recovery Reunion
| Before Mike Dumas even spoke at the inaugural UAMS Heart Recovery Reunion, his walk to the lectern and then standing behind it spoke for him.
“I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for Dr. Michael Luna and you, the staff and nurses that kept me alive until I was able to get back on my own,” Dumas said to the 85 people at the reunion dinner.
Michael Luna, M.D., is an interventional cardiologist and a professor in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.
Dumas’ recovery saw him progress from a wheelchair to walking without assistance in just four months.
Roger Swayze, MSN, MBA, service line administrator, delivered opening remarks at the event, which marked a celebration of survival and medical innovation by patients, families, and UAMS health care providers as well as a recognition of the life-saving work of the UAMS Heart Center team.
“This event is a celebration of all sorts,” said Srikanth Vallurupalli, M.D, a cardiologist and an associate professor in the division. “It’s a celebration of life; we have patients who are enjoying the gift of essentially a rebirth.”
He added that the reunion was highlighting the teamwork required for patient recovery as well serving as a tribute to the community that UAMS serves.
Center stage at the gathering were the compelling stories shared by patients and their families, offering emotional testimony to the dedication of the UAMS staff and the efficacy of modern technology.
After a challenging recovery that required both the Impella heart pump and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support, Dumas is now thriving.
His positive, grateful spirit was evident as he remarked on his second chance at life. He said, “I will never be what I once was, but because of you and Dr. Luna, I’m standing here.”
Tiffany McGhee and her husband, Terry McGhee, spoke about the dramatic emergency that led to her care. She suffered a persistent cardiac arrest, a “widow maker” block in an artery. After arriving in the emergency department, she was immediately put on ECMO support and her blocked artery was opened.
“I’m just grateful to be here and be alive,” Tiffany McGhee said, reflecting on her recovery.
Terry McGhee described the ordeal and the life-saving technology of the heart pump and ECMO for several weeks.
“These wonderful machines,” he said. “They saved my wife. It was her heart when she was down.” The couple expressed how close they became to the staff, saying, “We basically have a whole second family now.”
The UAMS physicians at the reunion reflected on the technology, challenges and commitment that made these recoveries possible.
Luna detailed the function of the Impella device, an artificial heart pump that supports the body when a patient’s heart is failing.
“It’s almost miraculous to see how quickly people regain color,” Luna said. “And in fact, they start talking in a way that tells me, yes, their brain is actually getting more oxygen.”
Luna highlighted the deep teamwork required, acknowledging everyone from the EMS partners to the Cardiovascular-Intensive Care Unit team. He complimented the effectiveness of the technology and the specialized procedure to replace Dumas’ heart valve without open-heart surgery.
“It’s an absolute privilege and honor to see him alive, healthy with his family, here with us today,” Luna said.
He also recalled Tiffany McGhee’s case as one that helped launch the ECMO program at UAMS to its current capacity, demonstrating the university’s ability to rise to a challenge.
Swayze said he got the idea for the Heart Recovery Reunion from being involved in similar events while working in cardiology at other hospitals. In his closing remarks, he shared four key sentiments.
“Gratitude, appreciation for the care of the teams, acknowledgement of our collaboration with the Impella team, and my favorite, inspiration,” he said. “Together with innovation and teamwork we are redefining what is possible for heart care at UAMS in Arkansas.”
He said the purpose of the evening was to offer a night for doctors and patients to tell their stories and to give the dedicated UAMS teams the recognition they deserve. The stories shared by the survivors were a powerful reminder to the medical professionals that “what you do here at UAMS is very important to this organization and to the community that we serve.”