“When I was at my first hospital, we asked for a second
opinion. And because my condition was so dire, my doctor
there told me ... We need to get you to Baylor.’”
Twenty-four hours later, a donor
heart became available.
Most transplant centers try to avoid
doing heart transplants on patients
who’ve had all the interventions that
Tim had, but Tim’s medical team
didn’t have a choice. On December
22, the team transplanted a donor’s
healthy heart into Tim’s chest.
“There are very few programs that
are equipped to treat high-risk
patients like Tim Gallagher,” said
Shelley Hall, M.D., chief of Transplant
Cardiology at Baylor Dallas. “We have
a fantastic team. We have a talented
group of cardiologists, surgeons,
nurse practitioners and nurses, and
we try to optimize every risk factor we
can to bring high-risk patients into an
acceptable range to transplant.”
“When I was at my first hospital, we
asked for a second opinion. And
because my condition was so dire,
my doctor there told me there wasn’t
a laundry list of doctors that I could
see. He said, ‘We need to get you to
Baylor,’” Tim recalled.
His doctor also credits Tim’s healthy
lifestyle for his survival. He had
and eating better shortly before his
hear t attack, fat had been
accumulating for years and had
already taken its toll on his heart.
— Tim Gallagher
High-Risk Transplant Surgery
Though Tim had begun exercising
“It was a real eye-opener,” Tim said.
Since his transplant, Tim has
started an exercise regimen six maintained a healthy weight and is no
had never smoked and was otherwise board of directors found a new CEO
he had no other medical complications however, Tim remains a shareholder
months prior to his heart attack. He longer working full time. Tim and the
healthy. His health and the fact that to run the company he’d founded;
were saving graces for him. and is active on the board.
Seeing His Old Heart
Though few people will ever get to
see their own heart, Dr. Roberts said,
Six months after his surgery, Tim “I hope they all have Mr. Gallagher’s
One of his physicians asked him if I hope they feel how lucky they are.”
“You’re damn right I want to see my at Baylor that’s significant,” said Tim,
In June 2015, Tim and Greyson met transplant. “It’s also the Baylor
feet tall and weighs 180 pounds, that provides world-class customer
native heart was too small for his I’ve ever exper-ienced. The doctors,
the size of a woman’s heart. It weighed center are like an extended family.”
learned of the Heart to Heart program.
he’d like to see his old heart.
reaction and live healthier lives. And
“It’s not only getting my new heart
heart,” was Tim’s reply. who is now two years out from his
Dr. Roberts in his lab. Tim, who’s 6 support system after transplantation
learned something unusual — that his service — the best customer service
frame. Dr. Roberts said it was about nurses and staff at the transplant
100 grams less than an average
man’s heart.
Dr. Roberts, who, in addition to
running the Heart to Heart program,
is the executive director of the Baylor
Heart and Vascular Institute, also
pointed out an issue that’s a little
more common: the fatty tissue
surrounding Tim’s heart.
11
For more information about
transplant initiatives, contact
Melissa Dalton at 214.820.2705 or
[email protected].