PHOENIX (Feb. 24, 2025) – When Phoenix resident Benjamin Lorenzano started experiencing chest pains last August, his daughter, Stephanie Lorenzano, rushed him to Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, where it was determined Benjamin was having a heart attack. Then, soon after, he went into cardiogenic shock, a life-threatening condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body, and as a result, his vital organs were beginning to suffer.
“Most patients don’t survive a cardiogenic shock,” said Dr. Radha Gopalan, heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
After doctors at Banner Desert Medical Center stabilized Benjamin, he was quickly taken to Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, where doctors then discovered that his heart function was so incredibly weak that they couldn’t even perform the open-heart surgery he needed. Instead, Benjamin was given stents to support blood flow to his heart, with the hope that it would help his condition.
It seemed like things were improving, but shortly after the stent procedure, Benjamin went into cardiac arrest again. As his situation rapidly deteriorated, Benjamin was placed on ECMO, which is a form of life support for severe lung and heart conditions, and given the Impella heart pump, which pumps blood for the heart, allowing the heart to rest and recover. At that point, after two near-death experiences, doctors told Benjamin’s family he would likely need a heart transplant.
However, over the course of Benjamin’s three-month hospital stay, his condition began to improve, and he regained heart function. Benjamin did not end up needing a heart transplant, despite his dire situation, and has been at home recovering since his release from the hospital last fall.
“I would absolutely describe [my dad’s] process a miracle,” said Stephanie. “It went from him needing a possible heart transplant and his heart working at about 10%-13%, to not needing anything at all. He was able to leave the hospital with the same heart he walked in with, and it just seems so surreal.”
Banner Health is one of the largest, secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. In addition to 33 hospitals, Banner also operates an academic medicine division, Banner – University Medicine, and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with one of the world’s leading cancer programs, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner’s array of services includes a health insurance division, employed physician groups, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care locations, home care, and hospice services, retail pharmacies, stand-alone imaging centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, behavioral health services, a research division and a nursing registry. To make health care easier, 100% of Banner-employed doctors are available for virtual visits and patients may also reserve spots at Banner Urgent Care locations and can book appointments online with many Banner-employed doctors. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health also has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.
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