SJ Businessman Has Life-Changing Heart Surgery at Cooper
Steve Ravitz is a prominent South Jersey businessman. With more than 50 years in the supermarket industry, not much rattled this entrepreneur—until he heard the words “heart surgery.”
“I went blank,” said Mr. Ravitz. “I had no symptoms and a routine medical exam and cardiac test completely changed my life.”
Mr. Ravitz underwent a stress test and failed. A cardiac catheterization proved that not only did he have blocked blood vessels in the heart, but he would also need a valve replacement.
“I called my children. I started planning and putting my personal matters in order. I was scared,” he said.
Within a few days, Mr. Ravitz was on the operating room table of Michael Rosenbloom, MD, Head of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cooper University Health Care. “It was a complex procedure because we not only had to complete by-pass surgery, but his aortic valve needed replacement, both of which are important surgeries to ensure his heart would function properly in the future,” said Dr. Rosenbloom.
The surgery went beautifully, and Mr. Ravitz spent the next week recovering in the new private-room cardiac unit at Cooper University Hospital.
“It wasn’t an easy recovery. I was tired, I was depressed, but I knew one positive thing; I was alive,” commented Mr. Ravitz.
Within six months after surgery, he was back running his ShopRite supermarkets across the region.
Mr. Ravitz reflects, “my heart literally belongs to Cooper.”
i also went through the same operation 3 years ago i was 55 now im doing very well . i am retired but working around my home and doing a lot of traveling i hope to have many more years to enjoy