Missie Marsch, of Herman Missouri, has battled heart disease for many years, a struggle that has deeply affected her family. Premature Ischemic Heart Disease runs in her family, and took the lives of her brother, father, and grandfather at early ages. Now at 60, Missie has already undergone multiple stent placements and has lived with a 100% blockage in one area of her heart for over a decade—something previous doctors had told her was untreatable.
In July 2024, Missie noticed she was having trouble with her legs and was constantly running out of energy. Given her heart history, her cardiologist recommended a heart catheterization. The results were concerning: In addition to the known blockage, one of her previous stents had developed an 80% blockage. The best option to address these issues was open-heart surgery, which had recently become an option at Hannibal Regional Hospital with the addition of Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Jose Torres.
Despite the recommendation, Missie was unsure about having such a major surgery in Hannibal. "My husband really wanted me to go to St. Louis," she shares. "But all of my family lives in the Hannibal area, and I liked the idea of having surgery closer to home so they could be there for me."
Care with cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jose Torres
Missie began researching Dr. Torres, and quickly learned he was highly experienced and a nationally renowned surgeon. To ease her concerns, she reached out to her lifelong friend, John Akright, who had been Dr. Torres’s first open-heart surgery patient in Hannibal. "John's glowing remarks about the superior care he received at Hannibal Regional with Dr. Torres helped ease my fears," Missie says.
When Missie finally met Dr. Torres, she immediately felt at ease. During their conversation, Dr. Torres addressed the blockage she had been told was unfixable. To her surprise, he was confident he could repair it. "I was skeptical because I had been told by so many doctors that it couldn't be done," Missie admits, "but Dr. Torres looked me in the eye and said, 'There is nothing I can or can’t do that isn’t God’s will.' Being a strong believer that all things are possible through God, I felt reassured that he could do exactly what he said."
Missie’s faith was not misplaced. Not only did Dr. Torres successfully repair the new blockage, but he also bypassed the blockage she had been living with for over 10 years. Her recovery was made even smoother by the attentive care she received at Hannibal Regional. Missie recalls one of her nurses, Jessica, vividly: "The first thing I remember after waking up was Jessica saying, ‘Just breathe, girl!’ That helped me more than anything. Everyone who took care of me really knew what they were doing."
Having her family nearby during her recovery also made a big difference. Missie’s daughter, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, visited her every day during her lunch breaks. "Having my family there was a huge emotional boost," Missie reflects. "Even with all the pain, they could still make me smile."
Now, as she continues her recovery, Missie is grateful not only for the surgery but for the ongoing care she's received. "They’ve been great about checking in and making sure I have everything I need. I couldn’t have asked for better care, and I’m so thankful I chose to have the surgery at Hannibal Regional."
Collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine
Beyond offering life-saving open-heart surgeries, Hannibal Regional has further enhanced its cardiac care by entering a unique collaboration with the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
This mutually beneficial collaboration aims to not only offer local access to cutting-edge cardiac treatments but also focuses on education, training future cardiothoracic specialists, utilizing emerging technologies, ensuring quality assurance, providing access to clinical trials, recruiting top physicians, and collaborating on complex or rare heart cases.
For example, for heart failure patients who may not be a candidate for conventional open heart surgery, Washington University specialists are just a phone call away. They offer consultations on heart transplants and ventricular assist devices (VAD), with patients only needing to travel to St. Louis for the surgery itself. All pre-surgical work is completed in Hannibal, and follow-up care is provided by Washington University's Advanced Surgical Clinic, which sends specialists to Hannibal monthly.
For more information about the services offered at the Hannibal Regional Heart Center call (573) 629-3960.