In a remarkable collaboration with cardiac surgeons from Honduras, the expert heart specialists at Health City Cayman Islands orchestrated a life-saving procedure for Brigadier General Roosevelt Leonel Hernández Aguilar, the outgoing General Commander of the Honduran Army, who was promoted to Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Honduras this month.
Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Senior Consultant in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery and Clinical Director at Health City, emphasized the significance of such close cooperation with medical facilities in the region, noting that it can be the difference between life and death for patients grappling with critical heart conditions. He underscored that Health City Cayman Islands does not aim to compete with regional or local health care providers.
Instead, the tertiary care facility stands ready to step in when other institutions lack the necessary resources, equipment or expertise. Once referrals are received in time, “We are here to save lives,” he remarked. Chief of Staff Hernández concurred with Dr. Binoy’s sentiments, recalling how Health City granted him a “new beginning” after suffering a massive heart attack: “I truly was in the best hands, where God could have placed me to save my life. It’s a top-notch hospital.”
He also expressed gratitude for the medical teams and particularly praised Dr. Binoy as “a dedicated doctor with simplicity and humility,” who always made time for his patients and inspired them to keep fighting with his unwavering optimism. In May, the Chief of Staff was initially admitted to a military hospital in Honduras with acute chest pain, which was diagnosed as a major heart attack.
Prompt medical intervention included catheterization and the implantation of two stents to reinforce his cardiac arteries. Discharged the following day, his family remained deeply concerned and sought additional assistance.
Honduran surgeons recommended transferring the army official to Grand Cayman via air ambulance due to his inability to endure a commercial flight, as he had a second heart attack a week after the first. Dr. Binoy noted that the initial treatment in Honduras, involving cardiologists opening blocked blood vessels with stents, was well done.
However, further tests revealed clots within his heart’s implanted stents and the left ventricle (main pumping chamber). At this critical juncture, the attending cardiologist contacted Dr. Binoy, indicating the necessity for open-heart surgery.
The experienced surgeon recounted the challenging nature of the procedure, as the already weakened chamber had to be accessed to remove the clot. After more than six to seven hours, the surgical team successfully bypassed the obstructed arteries and extracted the blood clot from the pumping chamber, resulting in a positive outcome.
Four to five days after the surgery, the patient was discharged from the hospital, spending an additional week on the island before returning to Honduras. Highlighting Health City’s innovative surgical techniques, Dr. Binoy explained that while most hospitals use veins from the patient’s legs for bypass surgery, approximately half become blocked within a decade. To mitigate this, he employs arteries from both sides of the breastbone (bilateral internal thoracic artery) in a total arterial revascularization procedure. Dr. Binoy asserted that over 90 percent of these grafts would provide normal heart function for three to four decades.
Roosevelt Leonel Hernandez Andino, the patient's son, expressed gratitude for the comfort provided by Health City, knowing that his father was in capable hands despite the severity of his condition: “Even though my dad’s situation was complicated, we felt at ease because we knew that this was the right place for (him) to be.”
He expressed his satisfaction and gratitude for the care provided in saving his father’s life to Dr. Binoy, nurses, and other staff members at Health City. Ondina Suyapa Andino Avila, the Chief of Staff’s wife, concurred, calling the experience a miracle and extending heartfelt thanks to God for saving her husband's life.
Chief of Staff Hernández also shared profound appreciation for the nursing staff, noting that their care extended beyond the medical realm. He reflected, “They had a board and would write down profound thoughts, filled with grand wisdom, and I had a profound sense of spirituality.
“It’s not just the chemical medication, but here’s also a remedy for the spirit.” The Chief of Staff also expressed his deep affection for the medical staff at Health City: “I truly love them, and what I have experienced here is that they gave everything, and they gave their best. The people here give all of their capacity and all the grace God has bestowed upon them. I was able to experience that, and I carry it with me in my heart.”
