Westchester Medical Center doctor performs groundbreaking beating heart transplant

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A doctor at Westchester Medical Center has made history as one of the first surgeons on the East Coast to perform a beating heart transplant. Dr. Suguru Ohira performed the first surgery in April. Since then, he has performed about six more. His first patient was 62-year-old Ricardo Acuna. In April, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after experiencing swollen feet during a family trip to Florida. Despite other treatments, his condition worsened and a heart transplant was necessary. "It was tough, so I'm happy that he's here and he's still here with me,” Ana De Leon, Ricardo's fiancée, said. "Obviously, we were scared because it's a whole new heart and all of that. But the procedure itself, I know deep down, that part was in good hands.” Dr. Ohira said during the procedure, the heart is kept beating mechanically during transport and transplantation. He said this new method reduces potential damage to the donor heart and allows it to stay viable for longer travel periods. "This is kind of a new technology but only like a couple years, within five years out,” he said. Dr. Ohira said this procedure offers new hope for the 10,000 New Yorkers waiting for a heart transplant. He's the first to perform this procedure in the Hudson Valley. “There is a possibility that we can expand more donor pool, availability to it that may potentially provide more opportunity to these candidates,” Ohira said. Both Acuna's family and doctors said he is recovering well. “He's back to being the Ricardo that he used to be 20 years ago. He has more energy than me right now,” De Leon said. "