MUSChealth.org/heart | 11 MUSC HEALTH HEART & VASCULAR CENTER Caslan said, referring to the large artery that provides 50% of the heart’s blood supply. “My heart wasn’t pumping; I had three blockages, and there was so much damage to my heart that the doctor assured me it was grave.” “We ruled out an operation when I was told there was a 50% chance that I would not make it through,” he added. McCaslan’s wife, whom he calls his hero, and his daughter listened to all the bad news. With McCaslan, “they lost it,” he said. And then they said they would not accept the “you-will-notmake-it” news. McCaslan received an Impella heart pump at a local hospital to keep blood flowing at 6% – just enough to keep him alive during a 200-mile transport to the person and the place that proved to be his literal lifeline: Dr. Anthony Carnicelli and the team of experts at MUSC Health’s Heart & Vascular Center. Dr. Carnicelli, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist, specializes in treating critical care patients like McCaslan. One of the newest members of the MUSC Health team, Dr. Carnicelli had already made history with his colleague, Dr. Arman Kilic, when they performed the first donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplant in South Carolina. The team used an ex vivo perfusion machine to transport and evaluate the donor organ before successfully transplanting it into a patient with end-stage heart failure. “Turning a tragedy into a miracle for a patient who has lived with a chronic illness is an amazing thing,” said Dr. Carnicelli about the historic moment. “There is nothing else like this kind of specialized work in medicine that touches so many lives.” Dr. Carnecilli and his team saved McCaslan’s life with stents, a defibrillator and medications that ultimately led to a major improvement in his heart function and quality of life. “He told me that if he took 100 patients who had what I had, 99 of them would be dead,” said McCaslan. “I will never forget that.” Dr. Carnicelli completed his medical residency training at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and fellowship training in cardiovascular diseases, clinical research and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at Duke University before joining the faculty at MUSC. “MUSC employs a truly amazing, forward-thinking group of cardiovascular disease specialists,” said Dr. Carnicelli. “Heart failure patients have many more paths to improved quality life given the rapidly evolving landscape of cardiovascular medications, procedures and advanced therapies like heart pumps and heart transplants.” “In the cardiac intensive care unit, we are seeing a more diverse population with a wide variety of cardiac and noncardiac diseases, often with multisystem organ failure,” he added. “We are very proud to be able to provide our patients with exceptional, state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary cardiovascular care at MUSC.” The new Roy McCaslan walks every day; in fact, he tries to walk 4 to 5 miles a day. He eats right and he enjoys fishing with his grandchildren. “I want to be a good patient,” he said. “I pray for Dr. Carnicelli every night. He is a miracle; the whole place is outstanding,” McCaslan added. “Another hospital told me there was nothing they could do. Look where I am now – home, changing some habits. I’ve lost 50 pounds. I don’t want to see a doctor closer to home; I would rather drive four hours to see Dr. Carnicelli. I don’t trust my life with anyone else.” “Turning a tragedy into a miracle for a patient who has lived with a chronic illness is an amazing thing,” said Dr. Carnicelli about the historic moment. Dr. Anthony Carnicelli
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