Russell M. Nelson Inspired Heart Surgery on St. George Patriarch

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President Russell M. Nelson was a world renowned heart surgeon before he he become a members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and later Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Nelson often stressed the importance for Latter-day Saints to recognize the Spirit of the Lord, and let the Lord lead your life.

President Nelson was the master teacher, and he was the master learner before he became that teacher. President Nelson leaned on the help of the Spirit to accomplish the Lords work, throughout his time as a Heart Surgeon and later in his time as the head of the Church. In President Nelson's biography he told a story a Stake Patriarch from St. George who came to him for a heart surgery, in the 1960's. At the time heart surgery was still new and there was lots of learning still to be done. This Patriarch had a heart complication that could not be fixed in the way that Dr. Nelson was aware of. This was the first time Dr. Nelson was faced with this particular challenge, and did not feel like he was able to help this man. With the help of our Father in Heaven President Nelson was guided and directed on how to help this faithful Stake Patriarch.

This particular case Brother Lyman, St. George Patriarch, had two faulty valves, one that could be repaired surgically and one that could not. It was not something that Dr. Nelson felt he would be able to solve and it was not worth the risk to operate. Dr. Nelson declined to operate.

Brother Lyman left that day, probably discourages with the response from Dr. Nelson but did not give up. Later Brother Lyman returned to ask again if Dr. Nelson would operate, for the second time. Again, Dr. Nelson declined to operate. Dr. Nelson felt that it was neither moral nor responsible to put someone through open-heart surgery when it would not solve the problems.

Brother Lyman returned a third time, and would not take no for an answer. With some emotion he said to Dr. Nelson: "Dr. Nelson, I have prayed for help and have been directed to you. The Lord will not reveal to me how to repair that second valve, but He can reveal it to you. Your mind is so prepared. If you will operate upon me, the Lord will make it known to you what to do. Please perform the operation that I need, and pray for the help that you need.

In the 1960's cardiac surgery was less than a decade old. At the time this Patriarch asked for help, Dr. Nelson had only performed seventy-three operations. Dr. Nelson had only performed eight open field operations on the mitral valve, what Patriarch Lyman needed.

President Nelson recalled "I was still a young surgeon, and to my knowledge no one had ever attempted to correct such a problem."

Brother Lymans repeated requests were compelling. Elder Nelson would later explain "his great faith had a profound effect upon me. How could I turn him away again?"

Dr. Nelson agreed to do the surgery and they scheduled to operate on May 24, 1960. Elder Nelson said "Don't think I didn't pray about that procedure, I prayed and prayed and got absolutely zero. As we opened Brother Lymans chest, my resident, Dr. Maunsel B. Pearce, looked at me and asked, 'What are you going to do for his tricuspid regurgitation?' and I said, 'I don't know. I have no idea."

Dr. Nelson and his surgical team first relieved the obstruction in the first reparable valve. Then they exposed the second valve and found it to be intact. The only thing wrong with it was that it was badly dilated. 'I could put my whole hand in his tricuspid valve orifice instead of three fingers, which is what it should have been,"

Thankfully the tissue was good. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the tricuspid valve other than the fact that the hole had been stretched to the point where the tissue could not close properly. It was while Dr. Nelson surveyed this situation that he had a distinct impression: "Reduce the circumference of the ring." He immediate thought was: "I don't know how to do that. If it were a pain of pants, I'd tighten the belt. But you can't put a belt around the heart."

Then a diagram appeared in his mind showing him where to place sutures to essentially do a series of tucks and pleats that would reduce the circumference so that the valve tissue would cover the hole. It was roughly comparable to cinching up the belt on a pair of trousers worn by someone who lost weight.

"I still remember that mental image- complete with dotted lines where sutures should be placed." Dr. Nelson completed the repair on the tricuspid valve as it was diagrammed in his mind. Dr. Pearce, speaking for everyone in the room said "It's a miracle." Dr Nelson said "It's an answer to prayer."

Dr. Nelson admitted: "I had no idea what I was going to do as I began the operation. Today there are all sorts of ways to reduce the circumference of the ring, but I knew none of those procedures at the time. I had not experienced pure revelation like that, surgically, before. But that was pure revelation. I had that man's heart open, and if that revelation had not come, he would have died."

Brother Lyman declared at the outset, it was Dr. Nelsons rare combination of knowledge and ability to receive inspiration that led to this surgical discovery- and success. Brother Lyman lived many more years.

It all began with the faith of the patient that inspired his surgeon to try. President Nelson said "It was a step into the dark, I thought about Joshua coming back into the Promise Land with his people and crossing the waters of the River Jordan at flood time. It wasn't until they put their feet into the water that they saw the hand of the Lord manifest in their lives. And that is what I experienced that day."

In the talk "Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice" by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles he says:

Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. It is, as the scriptures say, “substance … , the evidence of things not seen.” Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. Faith is a principle of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His name. The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice.

References:

"Insights from a Prophet Russell M. Nelson" by Sheri Dew p.68-72

"Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice" by Elder Neil L. Andersen October 2015