Home » Discussion » Zola's heart surgery

Zola came through the surgery well. The operation was about 4 1/2 hours long, from 12:30 to 5 PM. He was still asleep at 10 PM but they expected him to be up shortly. He was moving around (but didn’t appear to be in pain). He should be moved from the ICU to a regular room tomorrow (Friday).

They took two veins from his chest and one small one from his leg to use for the bypasses. They also found and repaired a small hole in his heart. When he recovers, he should have lots of new energy!

Before the surgery, Zola was in good spirits, joking with the staff.

Zola was taken into surgery around 12:30. He is expected to be out around 5 PM CT.

Zola says this in the upcomming September Levitt Letter about his surgery and suggestions (given here and elsewhere) about alternatives to surgery:

If anyone wants to know, I gave a fleeting thought to simply sitting it out and seeing how far I could go. Perhaps I would live longer than anyone expected, by medication and losing weight and perhaps taking the volumes of pills and treatments our readers and viewers suggested when they heard the news of my operation.

I must say a word of thanks to all those people who meant so well and who gave a huge variety of suggestions to avoid this bypass operation. Various procedures and products were suggested and also chelation therapy, all of which I dutifully discussed with my cardiologist.

In any case, it’s very late in the game for any such treatments. I have over the years taken anti-oxidant pills, vitamins of all sorts, and various recommended home treatments for artery disease. And after all, I did pretty well, going 22 1/2 years since my last bypass.
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As to the upcoming operation itself, I believe in God and I believe if the utter worst happens I will finally see him face to face. And there is a certain excitement inside me with the idea that I might actually see God in eight days. That is not at all likely, but as my cardiologist pointed out, when one leaves the house in a car one takes a chance with his life every time.
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One thing is for sure, I certainly have many people praying for me, and most of the folks who sent in their ideas for cures also did much prayer on my behalf.

The results of the surgery (scheduled for about 4 1/2 hours from now) will be posted here ASAP.