Cardiology: Robert Peary

Over the past three years, Robert Peary began to have a more pronounced shortness of breath and noticed he was becoming more and more fatigued. He had slowly started developing stenosis of the aorta. His cardiologist at the time said they'd just watch his symptoms carefully, and if they got worse, they'd decide how to manage them. But Bob knew he needed to do something about the symptoms now. "I was dizzy all the time. It felt like I had been drinking and I couldn't work out in the gym or go on walks with my wife," he said. He went to a seminar given by Dr. Bao Hoang, a cardiothoracic surgeon at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. "He explained that he could fix the problems that I was having with a kind of mini operation," Bob recalls. "He was well spoken, and had a lot of experience fixing exactly what I was experiencing. I just knew after that seminar that I had to make an appointment with him." It turned out Bob Peary was a prime candidate for the type of aortic valve replacement Dr. Hoang had spoken about. "He recommended that I have the surgery right away to get back that quality of life I had before. I was just glad to know that was possible." Dr. Hoang completed Bob's valve replacement without opening up his chest, and with only a couple two-inch incisions on the chest and groin. "I was in the hospital for five days total, and by the time I went home, I felt really good. The nurses and physicians at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital really made sure everything went smoothly," Bob says. "I'm very grateful to them." Today, Bob is back to his active lifestyle. He goes to the gym every other day, takes long walks with his wife and has taken up playing pickle ball with friends and neighbors."