Owensboro Health Performs First-of-its-Kind Heart Surgery in Kentucky
John Jones didn’t expect to make medical history. He just wanted to feel like himself again.
For years, the Owensboro resident battled atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a condition that left him drained, short of breath and unable to do the things he loved. Playing with his grandkids was harder than it should be. Mowing the lawn was impossible in one go. His heart just couldn’t keep up.
But thanks to Dr. Tony Mozer and the team at Owensboro Health, Jones is now the first person in Kentucky to receive a robotic-assisted epicardial ablation with left atrial appendage ligation—a breakthrough procedure for treating A-Fib. And he didn’t have to leave town to get it.
The Long Road to a Solution
Jones first had an ablation in Nashville in 2018, which helped for a while. But his irregular heart rhythms came back. He then had a hybrid ablation in Lousiville, and it worked for a while, but the problem persisted.
Doctors in Louisville suggested another procedure, but traveling for treatment wasn’t ideal.
That’s when his wife, Susan, asked a simple question: “Can we do this in Owensboro?”
It turns out, the answer was “yes.”
A friend referred them to Dr. David Charles and Dr. Tony Mozer, Owensboro Health’s new cardiothoracic surgeon. “From the start, they listened,” Jones said. “They took time to explain everything and made sure we were comfortable.”
A Cutting-Edge Procedure
A-Fib isn’t just frustrating—it can be dangerous, raising the risk of stroke and heart failure. Many patients manage it with medication or standard ablations, but some—like Jones—need something more advanced.
Enter robotic-assisted epicardial ablation.
“This procedure lets us treat A-Fib with extreme precision,” said Dr. Mozer. “With robotic assistance, we reduce recovery time and lower the risk of complications. It’s a game-changer.”
For Jones, the choice was easy.
Back to Living
Jones is still healing from the procedure, but he’s looking forward to a renewed sense of energy that will allow him to be more involved in family time, more efficient at tasks around the house and back to the joy of getting behind the grill in the warmer weather.
He can’t say enough about the care he received. “The doctors, the nurses—everyone treated us like family. They didn’t just do the procedure. They made sure we understood everything. They actually listened.”
Why This Matters
With procedures like this, Owensboro Health is bringing world-class heart care closer to home.
“We’re committed to offering the latest advancements in heart treatment right here in our community,” said Dr. Mozer. “That means fewer people have to travel for care. They can get the best treatment available, right here at home.”
Jones is proof of that. His advice to anyone thinking about heart care at Owensboro Health?
“Don’t wait. You don’t have to leave town to get the best care. It’s already here.”
Learn More About Dr. Mozer
Dr. Tony Mozer went into medicine to follow his father's example of “being a good person and caring for people in their worst moments in an absolutely kind and supportive way.”
He sees similarities in sports and cardiothoracic surgery. “I love sports, and cardiothoracic surgery was the way to combine competitive drive with my aspiration to care,” says Dr. Mozer. “I love that it is without a doubt a team effort, team sport, and I love the opportunity to be in a sort of flow state in the OR for hours at a time caring for someone and making good decisions to help them as they recover.”
Dr. Mozer offers open and minimally invasive surgical treatment for all cardiothoracic conditions, including convergent ablation and appendage ligation, MIDCAB, lobectomy, segmentectomy, esophagectomy and diaphragm plication. He performs open heart operations, including aortic surgery, root replacement, root enlargement, AVR, TVR and MVR. He especially enjoys mitral valve repair and arrhythmia surgery.
For more on advanced heart care at Owensboro Health, visit OwensboroHealth.org/Heart.