Louis Divita with Dr. Katz
For six years, Louis Divita of Palm City worked out religiously and scheduled regular visits with his personal physician to monitor aortic stenosis, a disease that prevents the aorta from pumping blood efficiently to the rest of his body.
The narrowing of Divita’s main heart valve had been diagnosed before he experienced obvious symptoms, so the entrepreneur kept up with his busy schedule of business and family commitments while also embracing an active lifestyle “watchful waiting.”
“At my age, I was still lifting weights as I had been for years,” says Divita, now 74. “I wasn’t taking any medications, hadn’t been diagnosed with other conditions, and kept up with all my appointments.”
But seven years into his disease, ongoing monitoring and tests revealed a worsening of his aortic stenosis. That’s when his physician referred him to Jupiter Medical Center in 2022 for specialized cardiac care because of its reputation for innovative technology, expert physicians, and a full spectrum of treatments and interventions at the center’s Robson Heart & Vascular Institute.
Life-saving surgery at Jupiter Medical Center
After his evaluation at Jupiter Medical Center, Divita underwent life-saving surgery by Arthur H. Katz, M.D., the institute’s medical director of cardiac surgery and a board-certified, fellowship-trained specialist in surgery of the mitral valve, aorta, and tricuspid valve. Dr. Katz also specializes in off-pump bypass surgery, ablation for atrial fibrillation, and reconstruction of the left ventricle — the heart’s main pumping chamber.
Divita credits Dr. Katz and his multidisciplinary team of cardiac experts with a great outcome and quick recovery from surgery. He was particularly impressed by daily visits from his surgeon, a personal interaction that provided a sense of post-surgery relief that he had never experienced or expected.
“Dr. Katz would see me three or four times a day and even stop by late at night before he went home,” he recalls. “Then one morning he came in and said, ‘Everything looks great!’. From then on, I was focused on rehab. Everyone was super nice and friendly. They all told me they were glad to see I was doing so well, which definitely helped in my recovery.”
“Only at Jupiter Medical Center are we able to offer patients such extraordinary resources,” says Dr. Katz. “Our team of highly-skilled surgical technologists, anesthesiologists, nurses and physicians work together to provide life-saving care.”
Nationally recognized cardiac expertise
The Robson Heart & Vascular features an award-winning team of cardiac physicians and multidisciplinary specialists, coupled with leading-edge technology to offer the community access to highly rated heart and vascular care. Specialties range from minimally invasive diagnostic procedures and intervention to advanced electrophysiology for irregular heartbeats, open-heart surgery and cardiac rehabilitation.
Jupiter Medical Center has earned chest pain certification from The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and healthcare accrediting body. It also boasts the commission’s Gold Seal of Approval, awarded after a rigorous on-site review by national healthcare experts in cardiac and emergency care, safety, quality, performance improvement, and adherence to national standards for treatment of chest pain and heart attacks.
For his cardiac rehab sessions, Divita made weekly 25-mile one-way trips from Palm City to Jupiter Medical Center to continue with expert follow-up care and recovery.
“I could have found a place closer to home,” he acknowledges, “but after my experience, I tell anyone I’ve met that if they ever need care, just keep driving past every other place until you get to Jupiter Medical Center.”
Patients seeking care for cardiac symptoms should consult their doctor about treatment options for their specific diagnosis. Then call Jupiter Medical Center for an evaluation to determine the most appropriate plan of care.
To speak to the Structural Heart & Valve Clinic Coordinator, call (561) 263-3767. For more information, visit jupitermed.com.
