Monday, March 24, 2008; Posted: 6:58 p.m. (CDT)
Gus Harbert cries tears of joy and holds his little boy closely.
Harbert says, "They gave me hope! I just started being a father two years ago and I wasn't ready to quit because I love him."
The Tulsa man had been battling congestive heart failure since 2004.
"I hope I'll have a lot more energy to contain him," says Harbert. "I feel a lot better since I've had the surgery."
Doctors performed surgery on 30-year-old Harbert a week and a half ago. They implanted an artificial heart pump called a left ventricular assist device near his heart.
"There's no reason to be scarred," he says laughing. "I saw the device. It's pretty huge."
The device weighs less than found pounds, measures about four inches in diameter and two inches in depth.
Dr. James Long, Cardiovascular Surgeon and Director, of the Oklahoma Advanced Heart Failure Program at Integris.
Dr. Long says, "Heart failure is a deadly disease. It robs people of quality of life. Oklahoma faces a great challenge with heart disease."
An Oklahoma advanced heart failure team at Integris performed the operation. Doctors say this is just the beginning.
"We will in the months and years ahead be bringing to the people of Oklahoma the very best therapies that are available in the world," says Dr. Long.
