Local cardiac surgeon Dr. Robert Pascotto and his team are on a mission in the Dominican Republic -he calls it the "heart to heart" mission.

Registered nurse Irene Kolesa-Wilt "We do experience black outs, power shortages, have no function."

Cardiac Surgeon Robert Pascotto explains "It's sometimes under battlefield conditions. We have problems with the monitors and ventilators. All of these things by the grace of God we've been able to overcome."

This ongoing mission is a cardiac surgical program created to fulfill a need for heart surgery at Cabral hospital in Santiago. The hospital cares for indigent patients and serves a population of almost 4 million people. Dominican Resident & Future Cardiologist Juan Larue says "The bare essentials here and for them to come here and cope with all the deficiencies to do this kind of work it's just great."

Dr. Pascotto says that it's great that people care enough to help these patients. Most of them are young and are in desperate need of heart valve surgery that's because of a childhood bout with rheumatic fever brought on by strep throat. "The occasional patient who has step throat and does not receive a penicillin shot can develop Rheumatic heart disease which usually effects the valves."

Dr. Pascotto also says that only 10% of the people that need heart surgery can afford to have it done in this country. Here, the surgery is performed absolutely for free. So far, over 100 successful operations. "One of the first cases that we did was a young lady, 23 years of age we replaced 3 valves. She could not even take care of her little baby."

This mission has not only helped the patients but it's had a dramatic affect on the team personally. We'll find out how tomorrow.

Dr. Pascotto and his team are planning two more trips this year. For more information you can log onto the mission's website at www.heartmission.com.