Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Performs First Open Heart Surgery

Last week, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford reached a significant milestone by performing the first open heart surgeries in the county.

“This accomplishment only strengthens our well-established heart program, and is a true testament to the hard work and dedication by many over the past few years, advancing the level of heart care in our community to now include artery bypass grafting, aortic valve surgery, mitral valve surgery, and treatment for ascending aortic aneurysms,” said Gordon Ferguson, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford.

Ascension Saint Thomas has invested more than $5.6 million in its Rutherford hospital to establish the new cardiac surgery offering. This program complements the robust existing cardiology services offered at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford hospital. Ascension Saint Thomas Heart in Rutherford County, was established in 2008 under the leadership of Dr. Guy B. Mioton and has now grown to include cardiothoracic surgeons and twelve cardiologists with subspecialists in electrophysiology and heart failure.

Over the past six months, more than 150 people had to be referred out of Rutherford County for heart surgery. With the addition of cardiac surgery at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford, heart patients can now receive higher-acuity care in their own community.

“We are ecstatic to celebrate this new program at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford,” said Dr. Wilson Clements, chief of cardiac surgery and the surgeon who performed the first open heart surgeries at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. “We have an extremely dedicated and talented cardiac team with years of experience in this field. We look forward to serving more members of Rutherford County and surrounding communities.”

The program at Rutherford is part of Ascension Saint Thomas Heart, the region’s largest heart program.