“Walking in and seeing [my son’s] confidence and skills gave me a tremendous sense of pride,” Dr. Joseph Wasselle Sr. tells PEOPLE
NEED TO KNOW
- Father and son vascular surgeons Joseph Wasselle Sr. and Joseph Wasselle Jr. recently worked side by side during a groundbreaking procedure at a Florida hospital
- The son, 34, said that sharing the moment with his dad, 65, was one of the most fulfilling experiences of his career
- The procedure marked the first time the facility used a minimally invasive technique to perform an endovascular aneurysm repair, leading to a faster recovery time for patients
A father and son shared a milestone in the operating room.
Dr. Joseph Wasselle Sr. and Dr. Joseph Wasselle Jr., both vascular surgeons at Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital in Florida, found themselves working side by side during a groundbreaking procedure just months after the younger physician joined the hospital staff.
During the procedure, Dr. Wasselle Jr., 34, was performing an endovascular aneurysm repair, or EVAR, when his father stopped by to observe. His dad ultimately scrubbed in to assist and learn more about the innovative technique firsthand.
According to the hospital, Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital became the first facility within the Orlando Health system to perform an EVAR procedure inside a cardiac catheterization lab rather than a traditional operating room…