Shane Pitts remembers collapsing on a basketball court about a week before doctors at Highland Hospital diagnosed him with congestive heart failure.
Despite various treatments, the Rochester man's condition worsened, and he was eventually told that he needed a transplant.
“That was probably the worst day of me and my wife's lives,” said Pitts, a father of five. “It was news that we weren't ready for. “
After spending 3½ months in the intensive care unit at Strong Memorial Hospital waiting for a donor, Pitts received the phone call. Doctors said a heart was found through the life-saving gift of a compatible donor, and surgery would take place early the next morning.
“I was very happy and relieved that this was getting ready to happen,” Pitts said. “I can get back to life once I get out of this.”
Dr. Rajasekhar Malyala and his team performed the surgery on Pitts in what became the program’s 400th heart transplant — marking a significant milestone for heart care in the region. The institution's first heart transplant took place 25 years ago.
Malyala said the surgery took eight to 10 hours. He commended Pitts for enduring the waiting game that many recipients face.
“You're dealing with hopes and dejection, because the hopes sometimes don't come true,” Malyala said. “This type of thing is hard on a person's psyche, so I have to praise Pitts for his patience and fortitude.”
Pitts is recovering and said he is feeling great after undergoing the life-saving surgery two weeks ago.
“I feel better today than I have felt in the last six years,” he said. “That’s incredible.”
