Man credits heart surgeon with saving his life twice, 20 years apart
MANHASSET, N.Y. -- Alexander Mullery, a 76-year-old Long Island man, was all smiles on Tuesday as he shook hands with his heart surgeon -- a doctor he’s relied on to fix his broken heart more than once, CBS New York reported.
“I would say he not only saved my life once, but he saved my life twice,” Mullery said.
Dr. Alan Hartman himself marvels at how his paths have crossed with Mullery and his family. It was twenty years ago that Hartman first performed emergency heart surgery.
“He underwent an aortic valve replacement,” Hartman said.
The first surgery worked for nearly two decades. But last summer, an artery in Mullery’s heart suddenly ruptured.
“I woke up early in the morning and I know how I normally feel, and I had this strange feeling in my chest,” he said.
Mullery’s condition was so dire Hartman ordered a medical helicopter to rush him to a heart hospital for what turned out to be life-saving surgery.
“He’s just getting back to normal activities. He’s watched his weight, so he’s actually in better shape than when he started,” Hartman said.
Mullery now has the doctor’s blessing to hit the links.
“Today we gave him official permission to resume golf,” Hartman said.
Mullery’s wife Lucy is relieved all went well and delighted to have her husband back.
“He does pretty much everything he did before, except shovel snow,” she said.
Mullery’s two sons Patrick and Thomas said they’ll gladly shoulder the shoveling for their dad, although older brother Thomas is pulling rank.
“He’s the younger one, he’ll have to shovel,” he said.
The Mullery’s said it’s all in the family now, once again, thanks to a surgeon’s skillful touch -- a generation apart.
Doctors said Mullery is so healthy that his prognosis for an even longer life is quite good.
