Heart scan leads to lifesaving surgery

By Maureen Gilmer, IU Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

Tim Greene is back to walking the beach in Florida after a health crisis landed him in the hospital for open-heart surgery less than two months ago.

With his newly repaired heart, the 64-year-old Indianapolis resident (who spends the winter months in Florida) is counting his blessings while counting his steps, determined to make the most of the second chance he’s been given.

Greene, whose daughter, Christine Greene, is a nurse at Riley Hospital for Children, found himself facing his mortality after a $49 heart scan at IU Health North Hospital revealed severe aortic stenosis, requiring double bypass surgery at IU Health Methodist Hospital on Feb. 16.

“I was really nervous,” he said. “I could tell it was not good.”

He’d had no symptoms – no shortness of breath, no chest pain – but the decision to get the heart scan may have saved his life, he and his daughter believe, which is why he has encouraged no fewer than 50 of his friends and relatives to get a scan themselves.

“The surgeon said if he hadn’t done this, he could have collapsed and died at any second,” Christine said.

Instead, he has spent the past several weeks recovering in rehab at Methodist Hospital’s Heart Station gym, walking to 1970s tunes like “Dream On” while living for the day when he could be back on the beach.

Methodist chief of cardiothoracic surgery Dr. Sara Pereira performed Greene’s surgery, telling Christine later that the calcification on her dad’s heart valve was the worst she’s seen in her career.

Two days after surgery, Greene suffered the collapse of both lungs, requiring immediate intervention by the Methodist care team, including intensivist Dr. Hari Puttagunta.

“I knew how dire the situation was and saw how fast they jumped into action,” Greene said, adding that miraculously he was up and walking 15 hours later.

Christine, who previously worked in the Heart Center at Riley before moving over to outpatient surgery, knows plenty about pediatric hearts, but learning that her dad needed surgery made her own heart hurt.

Now, that same heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for the care he received at Methodist – from the surgery to a rocky (but ultimately swift) recovery to rehab.

“From the second we found out about his diagnosis in January to his surgery in February, every person has been beyond amazing,” she said, offering a sincere shoutout to the critical care unit for the “professional, compassionate, kind care” her father received.

“They were incredible. Being a nurse and being at his bedside for a week, I saw how the care he got was top notch. It brings me to tears.”

Last week, joined by his sister and daughter, Greene graduated from the cardiac rehab program at Methodist, signing his name to the board and receiving a certificate marking his achievement.

On Monday, after being cleared by his doctors, he headed back to Florida, where he was ready to return to playing pickleball, swimming and walking up to three miles a day. His wife, Ginny, will join him there later this month.

He and his family still can’t quite wrap their heads around all that has happened in a short period of time, but they want all of his nurses, doctors and rehab specialists to know that they are forever grateful.

“We could not have done it without them,” Christine said. “The way these people went above and beyond, I can’t believe it.”

Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org