Lothar's Success Story
After undergoing multiple heart surgeries, Lothar came to Kindred Hospital Santa Ana for ventilator weaning, wound care, and dialysis. With the help of his multidisciplinary team, Lothar recovered and regained his independence.
Lothar was out for a bike ride when he suddenly felt chest pain and had trouble breathing. He went to the hospital and where it was discovered that he needed urgent care. Lothar went through four major heart surgeries, received a tracheostomy to help him breathe, started dialysis, and had a feeding tube placed.
Once he was stable, Lothar was transferred to Kindred Hospital Santa Ana to continue his recovery.
Our multidisciplinary care teams worked together to help Lothar heal. The wound care team helped manage several surgical incisions, and all his stitches were removed as his wounds fully healed before discharge.
When Lothar first arrived, he needed high-flow oxygen to help him breathe. Within days, he was able to transition to a trach collar with a speaking valve, then to a capped trach with nasal cannula support. In just two weeks, he no longer needed the trach and was breathing comfortably on his own.
He also needed bedside dialysis early on, but his kidney function steadily improved. Before he left, his dialysis was stopped, and his catheter was safely removed by our surgeon.
Lothar also faced serious physical challenges. At first, he needed full help for movement and care. Our physical and occupational therapy teams worked with him daily, starting with simple movements at his bedside. With steady effort, he went from walking just five feet to walking 275 feet by the time he left.
Because of a risk of aspiration, Lothar could not eat or drink when he first arrived. He followed a therapy plan designed to help him regain safe swallowing. After three weeks, he was eating and taking medication by mouth. His feeding tube was removed, and he was discharged eating regular foods and drinking liquids. His speech and swallowing returned to their highest level.
We are proud to have supported Lothar in his recovery and honored to be part of his journey back to health.