NTX Magazine Volume 4 | Page 46

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Healthcare Many people think of logistics as moving goods from Point A to Point B. But, for many, logistics is the cornerstone of bringing lifesaving medicine, or in this case, organs. One man and his medical team shared their journey that brought him a new heart and a renewed life. Transplant Surgeon Dr. Matthias Peltz, UT Southwestern. Getting Organized: Life-saving Gift Asks Medicine to Put Science and Logistical Coordination to Work for Patients in Need For years, all that Filer’s physicians could do was keep a watch on his erratic heartbeat that often caused him episodes of panic and pain. What they didn’t know then was that Filer suffered from a congenital condition, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, or ARVD, that causes an erratic heartbeat -- and often leads to high-profile cardiac arrests, many times seen in otherwise healthy adolescents that suddenly one day drop dead on a football field or baseball diamond. “I knew I had a rapid heartbeat but at that early point, it was not known exactly where it was coming from,” said Filer. “I was in my late 20s and I was ‘indestructible’ anyway.” In the 1980s, as H