Florida Hospital Performs Central Florida's First Heart Transplant

Edwin Arce, 49, woke up in his hospital bed with doctors and nurses surrounding him.

I thought, I am either going to die or I am getting a heart today, Arce recalled, reflecting on the moment just before learning he was going to be the first patient to receive a heart transplant in Central Florida.

For Arce, it was seven weeks of waiting for a donor and years of heart problems that got him to this point.

My life consisted of walking from the bed to the couch, said Arce. That literally wore me out. I had no quality of life before now. For the transplant team at Florida Hospital, it has been four years of paperwork, training and preparation before the moment finally arrived, just before Valentine's Day.

We applied to the state for permission to perform heart transplants in 2008, said Lars Houmann, president and chief executive officer of Florida Hospital. Since that day, we have been putting the team together to make this a reality. Having a heart transplant program here in Central Florida is vital because it allows patients to get these high-level cardiovascular services close to home.

Joining the team to perform Florida Hospital's first heart transplant is Donald Botta, MD, associate surgical director of Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs, coming to the Florida Hospital team from Yale Medical Center.

This truly was a team effort between doctors, nurses, anesthesia, emergency responders and many more, said Dr. Botta. It was orchestrated flawlessly with fantastic results for the patient.

Approximately 150 members of the Florida Hospital Transplant Institute and the Florida Hospital Cardiovascular Institute had a role to play in the care of Edwin Arce. Barbara Czerska, MD, medical director of Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs, is one of the vital players on the team. Arce was referred to Dr. Czerska by local cardiologist Vineel Sompalli, MD, when Arce's heart condition became very grave.

I am so pleased to see how well he is doing now. The donor heart was very healthy and literally, a perfect match for Edwin, said Dr. Czerska. This heart will allow him to be much more active than he has been in a long time.

While the major surgery has been very stressful for the patient and family, much of that worry was alleviated because the procedure happened here locally. Heart transplant patients often spend long periods of time in the hospital where the transplant takes place, and Arce was no exception. Arce was admitted to Florida Hospital Orlando on Christmas day 2011.

It is such a blessing to be able to have your family around you at a time like this, said Arce. I am not sure what I would have done without them for all these weeks. My children and wife were able to visit me regularly. If I had to go far away, that would not have been possible.

The Florida Hospital Transplant Institute has transformed lives for more than 30 years through personalized care of patients awaiting transplantation. The program offers kidney, liver and kidney/pancreas transplantation services, patient and professional education, and dedication to those in need of life-saving organ transplants. Nationwide, last year more than 28,000 lives were saved due to the generosity of organ donors. Today, nearly 100,000 children and adults await organ transplantation.