When 76-year-old farmer Dan Branton thinks about his care at St. Dominic Hospital, one word rises above the rest: grateful.
Dan, who has farmed in the Mississippi Delta for more than five decades, became the first patient in Mississippi to undergo a new minimally invasive procedure to repair a dangerous aneurysm. Which involves both the chest and abdomen, a thoracoabdominal aneurysm.
Previously, the only option for cure of this aneurysm was an operation which required opening of both the chest and abdomen which carried a very high risk of blood loss and death. The new operation known as a Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis (TAMBE) was performed by vascular surgeon Zachary Baldwin, MD, this spring at St. Dominic Hospital.
A Health Journey Years in the Making
Dan’s history with St. Dominic stretches back 20 years.
“I had something going on with my health that local doctors couldn’t diagnose,” he recalls. “During the process, they ran a bunch of scans and tests and that aneurysm showed up then, but it was not a problem at the time.”
Doctors monitored it for decades until his cardiologist referred him to Dr. Baldwin. “I love the guy,” Dan says. “We had an interview, and he thought I was an ideal candidate.”
A Complex but Successful Procedure
The minimally invasive TAMBE procedure repairs aneurysms in the main artery that carries blood from the chest through the abdomen. The procedure can be performed without incisions though for Dan he did require a small incision in the upper arm.
“We have been offering complex endovascular operations for aneurysm disease here at St. Dominic’s for over 11 years,” Dr. Baldwin says. “Our experience utilizing custom made vascular grafts is unequaled in the state and lead to our embracing the next step forward in vascular technology with Gore’s TAMBE device. Most importantly, it gave Dan the outcome we wanted, a safe repair and a strong recovery.”
Care Beyond the Operating Room
The people at St. Dominic also left a lasting impression on Dan and his family. One caregiver, a young man named Lail Cothren, NP, reminded Dan and his wife, Sheila, so much of their grandson that they both commented on it. Lail cared for Dan after both his surgeries.
Even in the face of a serious procedure, there was room for laughter with Dr. Baldwin. “I asked, ‘You’re not gonna mess up my whole deer season, are you?’ And he scooted across the floor on his stool and said, ‘I forgot y’all’s second religion was deer hunting!’”
Grateful for the Future
Recovery has required patience, but Dan is thankful for how far medicine has come. “My daddy had the same operation in Houston in the ’60s, and they cut him from one end to the other. It took him forever to get over that. So, yeah, you can imagine how grateful I am.”
When asked if he’d recommend St. Dominic Hospital, Dan doesn’t hesitate: “There would be no doubt I’d recommend St. Dominic’s.”
