Cleveland Clinic: Bennett Werner MD

When I first met Dr. Bennett Werner in 1989 I had been suffering severe Myocardial ischemia. Mostly in my neck and shoulders. He immediately suggested a heart cauterization. I told him he could go ahead and do it if he wanted but, I was absolutely sure I had no heart problems.

After the procedure he came to my room with the diagram of a human heart. He had marked off all of the arteries where I had blockage.
At the time you could smoke in the hospital and I remember I was smoking when he showed me the diagram. There were five blockages ranging from 90% to 40%...

Right away he suggested bi-pass surgery. And right away I REFUSED to have it.
I couldn't believe that I would have to have someone cut open my chest cut open like a chicken, then have them stop my heart and then use some veins to bi-pass those blockages.

He kept insisting and I kept refusing. Then he said I would be taking a really big chance by not having the surgery, but he finally agreed. He said he would put me on some medication, I would have to watch my diet and he said I would have to stop smoking and get into a supervised exercise program.

I agreed with all that. After all it was better than bi-pass surgery. So began a strict program of eating, stopped smoking and began exercising at the Wheeling Hospital exercise shell where there were two nurses and they monitored everyone. I went three days a week.

It was almost two years later. I was exercising at the exercise shell and began having pain right in the middle of my chest which I had never had before.
I told there nurse and she said I needed to contact Dr. Werner.

He did a second heart cauterization and discovered that one of the blockages had increased dramatically. This one he described as ":a widow maker." I ask him again "now what"? And again he said bi-pass surgery. I then said "no way". I said that I had done some reading about balloon angioplasty and wanted to try that first. He then said he didn't think it would work in my case. But I insisted I wanted to try it anyway.

He reluctantly agreed and sent me to Cleveland Clinic for the balloon angioplasty.
As he suspected it didn't work. Now I was facing bi-pass surgery. It was 1991 and I was 50 years old.

I think that Dr. Werner knew all along that the balloon angioplasty would not work. But I think he felt if he got me into a hospital setting and there were no other choices I would agree to the surgery.

Up to that point having that surgery was the worse experience of my life.
But looking back on it now that experience changed my life for the better.
I stopped smoking, started to watch my diet and began an exercised program that has lasted for over 24 years.

I thank god that I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Bennett Werner.
He moved away from this area, but I'll never forget him.