Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

The Zipper Club is a support group created by The American Heart Association for open-heart and other cardiac surgery patients and was established and supported by The Heart Institute of Bon Secours-Holy Family Hospital.
Open-heart surgery is an operation in which the heart-lung machine is used to support the patient’s circulation while the surgeon opens and makes changes to the heart. The surgery is one of the most commonly performed operations in the United States, with a high overall survival rate.
There are a variety of different types of open-heart surgeries, depending on the condition being treated and the overall health of the patient. Patients can expect a hospital stay of at least three to four days after undergoing the surgery.
The procedure itself takes an average of about five hours. Afterwards, the patient will be very carefully monitored, first in the cardiac intensive care unit and then on the general floor. Most open-heart surgeries will not need to be repeated.
Open-heart surgery and other related heart surgeries are the reason why The Zipper Club is present in our area. The Altoona Bon Secours Chapter started in November 2001. The Zipper Club is a national organization that offers support and education to patients who have had or will have open-heart surgery.
There are approximately 110 members at Bon Secours and they hold meetings at the Educational Center at the hospital every other month. The Zipper Club gives advice on health, diet and exercise after a heart related surgery. They also visit patients before and after surgery at the hospital to answer questions and offer help.
In November 2001, Denny Anna became the first president of Bon Secours’s Zipper Club, the areas only open-heart surgery support group. Anna had open-heart surgery in January 2001. His experience of the surgery influenced becoming involved with the Zipper Club.
“I really enjoyed the people at Bon Secours, “he said. “From the operating room staff, to physical therapy, everyone there made you feel like part of the community. I created a bond with the hospital and I wanted to return something for that support.”
The Zipper Club has become a very important part of Anna’s life. It has changed his life.
“The Zipper Club helps because you can call people on the phone and they try to comfort you. It helps calm the anxiety before surgery.” Anna added, “Once the surgery is over there’s a sense of relief, but you’re a little bit afraid to do things. The dedicated people of The Zipper Club and Bon Secours doctor’s and staff will be there to educate and support you through that.”
Patients and survivors find that The Zipper Club becomes a special place to go to. The club is constantly changing because there are people who just had open-heart surgery and those who have been three or four years down the road.
Anna stated, “As patients get away from their surgery, they grow away from the experience of it and sometimes become depressed. So for the new members and patients, The Zipper Club is able to support and help them through the surgery, before and after.” He added, “It’s nice to spend time with them knowing that you can help, and at the same time they help you. We are more aware of our lives and have a chance to live a better, more quality life.”
Mark Watson, P.A., is the coordinator of The Zipper Club at Bon Secours and was one of the club organizers.
“I started the club because of patient demand. Patients wanted a support group for open-heart surgery. Part of The Zipper Club is not only educational afterwards, but it adds support when patients become depressed post-operatively,” Watson said. “The club offers the chance for people to get together and share experiences in order to grow from it. The hospital can answer questions from a medical perspective, but patients who have been through the surgery can offer a more realistic view.”
Watson commented that open-heart surgery is very unique from other surgeries because people are told they have a serious illness and the only way to help with their illness is a major operation, which a person could inevitably die from.
The Zipper Club is an amazing group of people willing to share experiences, offer advice and all the support possible. But with any organization, money is a factor.
Francis Gurekovich Sr., Tyrone resident, open-heart surgery survivor and treasurer of The Zipper Club talked about the financial aspects. “When we have our meetings we have a 50/50 drawing. We put out a gratuity basket that has collected $75 at times. Donations also come from doctors at Bon Secours and from pharmaceutical companies.”
Gurekovich added, “We’ll take money from anyone who is willing. It’s for a good cause. Money doesn’t go to waste; it’s to make people happy who had open-heart surgery. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the surgery.”
Donations are always welcomed for The Zipper Club, and new members are likewise always welcomed. Anyone in the Altoona and Tyrone area is eligible to join the club.
For information about The Zipper Club call The Heart Institute at Bon Secours-Holy Family Hospital at 814-949-0937. Ask for Terri Colabove.
The Zipper Club will be holding its next meeting at the Bon Secours Educational Center in Altoona on September 19, 2002. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m.

By Rick