A lifelong athlete, Charles H. Wickersham remains active at age 82. While he no longer competes like he once did growing up in Longview, Texas, he still enjoys daily workouts and bicycling.

It’s remarkable for a man his age. Even more impressive when he tells you about the scars.

As a 13-year-old, Mr. Wickersham underwent heart surgery to correct a birth defect. He was born with a condition in which an opening between the aorta and the pulmonary artery that normally closes after birth remains open. The opening allows oxygenated blood from the heart to flow back to the lungs, resulting in less oxygen reaching the body and shortness of breath.

In the mid-1950s, it was one of the earliest open-heart surgeries performed in the U.S. But while the successful procedure enabled Mr. Wickersham to pursue a life of sports, it left him with a fear of surgery.

After almost fainting in 2001, Mr. Wickersham underwent an echocardiogram, which showed a valve in his heart was narrowing. A CT scan also revealed an aneurysm on the aorta, above the valve.

By the time he arrived at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Mr. Wickersham’s condition had worsened. He met with Michael Jessen, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, who specializes in treating abnormal heart rhythms and diseases impacting the aorta.

“I told Dr. Jessen of my irrational fear of hospitals and surgery,” Mr. Wickersham said. “But he had a way of calming me down. Pretty soon, we were hitting it off like old friends. He became the best heart doctor I could ever find.”

After reviewing Mr. Wickersham’s medical history and heart scans, Dr. Jessen recommended repairing the valve and aneurysm. During a six-hour surgery, he replaced the faulty valve with a prosthetic one made from a cow’s pericardium, the strong tissue surrounding the heart. He also repaired the enlarged part of the aorta with a dacron vascular graft – a specialized piece of fabric that is corrugated like cardboard. The folding enables the material to bend into a smooth curve inside a blood vessel without kinking.

Ranked No. 20 in the nation for Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery by U.S. News & World Report, UT Southwestern has expertise in this intricate area of heart surgery. Dr. Jessen is also recognized nationally for the procedure.

After a successful operation, Mr. Wickersham returned to daily workouts without chest pain or shortness of breath. Grateful for the exceptional care, he committed to make a gift from his estate by naming UT Southwestern a beneficiary of his retirement plan. The gift will establish a cardiovascular medicine research fund in honor of his care team, including Dr. Jessen, Professor of Internal Medicine and Interventional Cardiology Section Chief Dharam Kumbhani, M.D., and Physician Assistant Anuja Mathew, M.B.A., M.P.A.S.

In recognition of his gift, Mr. Wickersham was welcomed into The Wildenthal Society, an organization honoring donors who make a gift from their estate to benefit UT Southwestern or Southwestern Medical Foundation. Formerly known as The Heritage Society, the organization was renamed in June to honor UT Southwestern President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine Kern Wildenthal, M.D., Ph.D., who served as the institution’s second President.

Dr. Jessen is grateful for the gift, which will help support future research and clinical trials, perhaps helping to develop new medical devices that could be installed without subjecting a patient to surgery.

“When patients express their gratitude by making a gift, it speeds the development of new treatments and therapies that help other patients down the line,” Dr. Jessen said. “Mr. Wickersham’s gift means a tremendous amount to me and our team.”

• Dr. Jessen holds the Frank M. Ryburn, Jr., Distinguished Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation.
• Dr. Kumbhani holds the Jim and Norma Smith Distinguished Chair in Interventional Cardiology.