Ocala, FL 66°F
Healing Hearts
There’s one phrase that repeatedly comes to mind for patients and peers when describing Fariba Gharai,M. D.—“compassionate with superior surgical skills, providing the highest medical care.” What few also know is how driven she is by her passion.
Dr. Gharai came to Ocala four years ago after finishing her fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. After coming to this country on her own as a teenager to escape oppression in her native land, she taught herself English. Shortly thereafter, she entered George Washington University, where she received her degree in electrical engineering summa cum laude. Dr. Gharai then went to Chicago Medical School and followed with fellows in thoracic and cardiac surgery at the University of Kentucky and West Virginia University.
During the subsequent years, she established an outstanding record of patient care with world-class results in our local community. The record of outcomes does not come from avoiding difficult cases, as Dr. Gharai has introduced numerous procedures not commonly found in regional medical centers.
Throughout her practice at Ocala Regional Medical Center, Dr. Gharai Has performed almost 200 surgical procedures per year, including hundreds of highly technical heart, vascular and lung surgeries. This past year, for instance, Dr. Gharai performed multiple cardiac valve replacement surgeries.In this cutting-edge procedure, she replaces both the mitral and aortic Valves in a single operation, allowing for a substantial improvement in the power of the heart to pump blood through a patient’s system.
Although Dr. Gharai has performed more than 100 open heart procedures per year, a substantial portion of her practice focuses on the vascular system As a whole. While the heart is the engine that powers the system, the large number of branches must be kept free of any diseases in order to ensure that the repaired heart can pump blood to the important organs.
A substantial amount of Dr. Gharai’s work in this area is focused on the carotid artery, the descending aorta and the peripheral arteries. The treatments in this area include both percutaneous and open procedures. Much of Dr. Gharai’s training at the University of Kentucky was focused on diseases of the lung. In this area, many of the procedures performed are associated with oncological (tumor) conditions of the lungs.
When looking at the source of Dr. Gharai’s outstanding results, one must take note of her strong character. At first glance, when she meets the patients, they are immediately disarmed. Dr. Gharai is easy to talk to and spends considerable time discussing the need and potential pitfalls of surgeries with the patients and their families.One must ask not only whether the surgery is possible from a technical perspective, but also whether the life of the patient is enhanced or prolonged by the procedures being considered.This understanding requires a significant investment by the surgeon in educating the patient and family in the possibilities of surgery, as surgical physical skills are very important.
After leaving the operating room Dr. Gharai does not view the job as done. In most cases, she continues her involvement in the critical care of the patient. This often includes nightly calls at two, three and four o’clock in the morning to check on the well-being of her patients.
Positive outcomes are rarely an accident.They come from intense training, hard work, an exemplary set of skills and a deep caring for the welfare of the patient..
For Information:
Dr. Fariba Gharai
125 Southwest 11th Street
Ocala, FL 34471
Phone: 352.671.9920
Fax: 352.671.5211
Carol and Jack B.:
“My husband had to see a surgeon following a colonoscopy. The surgeon informed him that he had cancer. We proceeded to see a chemotherapist. He ordered a CAT-Scan, which discovered an aneurysm at the aorta, 6.5 centimeters. If they gave him chemo, they would have killed my husband.
“We were recommended to Dr. Gharai and she did the surgery. The surgery lasted almost nine hours. In the meantime, I was pacing back and forth, and I began to have a heavy feeling in my chest.
“When Dr. Gharai came out of surgery, she told me what occurred With my husband, that everything was fine and he was doing great. Since I was a smoker and having on and off chest pains for years, I went to Dr. Qamar and had a complete cardiac workup.
“I had 80, 80, 70 and 50 percent blockage in my heart. Dr. Gharai recommended that I undergo surgery immediately, and I was scared. I cried.Dr. Gharai is wonderful. She comforted me and told me to go home and think about it. If I had any doubts, we would get another opinion. I didn’t have to think about it because she was like family. She just made me feel comfortable.
“I had my surgery, and both me and my husband are both doing great. I made a promise to her: If she got me through this, I would never light another cigarette. I smoked for 50 years, and I am smoke free for eight months now.
I feel great, like a new woman. And I feel like Dr. Gharai is a part of my family now. She has a heart of gold.”
—Carol B. “After our initial consultation, Dr. Gharai was so nice and made me feel so relaxed, I had no fear.” —Jack B.
Eddy L.:
“I had some symptoms that troubled Me, such as inactivity and shortness of breath. I couldn’t even do the simplest of exercises. I was a smoker, but I quit before my surgery. I was diagnosed with a narrowing of the aorta. I needed a valve replacement. Dr. Gharai had to put a valve onto my aorta to open it up to get better blood flow. I am now recovering at Marion House. Dr. Gharai’s staff treated me great. I may be discharged next Tuesday (July 5th) to go home. I would recommend Dr. Gharai to anyone. She is a great doctor and she’s very easy to talk to. I felt very comfortable with the way she treated me."
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