Community Medical Center in Fresno successfully performed a rare heart procedure on Gary Hill by removing a pump no longer needed after his life-threatening battle with COVID-19.
Gary went into end-stage heart failure after contracting COVID-19, which required the installation of a heart pump to save his life. Once Gary’s heart regained enough strength to operate on its own, the device needed to be removed – a procedure that only 1-2% of patients undergo. Thankfully, Community Medical Center in Fresno used surgical innovation to remove the pump and repair the hole left behind “so he [Gary] can focus on the things that matter,” said Dr. Shamsuddin Khwaja.