Seven surgeries done in first week as Florida hospital launches heart program

Boynton Beach, FL-based Bethesda Memorial Hospital's new heart institute is a $57 million endeavor that brings Palm Beach County its fifth open-heart surgery program. With open-heart surgery a lucrative procedure and cardiovascular disease the No. 1 killer in the United States, centers such as Bethesda's are highly coveted. Bethesda officials expect to perform about 150 open-heart surgeries in the program's first year, and seven surgeries were done during the institute's first week alone.