More than a year after being placed on a waiting list Fond du Lac resident Rick Gilgenbach has received his new heart. Gilgenbach got the call this week and underwent successful heart transplant surgery Wednesday night at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee. Gilgenbach’s brother Scott told WFDL news there was some bleeding after surgery that doctors fixed Thursday, but said the oxygen tube was expected to be removed Thursday or Friday. In 1996 Gilgenbach was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens the heart muscle, making it less able to pump blood through the body. Gilgenbach had been on medication to control the problem but when the symptoms began to worsen Rick was told he needed a heart transplant. One side of his heart wasn’t functioning properly and so doctors inserted a pump. Until this week Gilgenbach had been on a heart transplant waiting list. Heart problems run in the family. His father had the same problem and also had a heart transplant. A fundraiser for Gilgenbach will be held at the Press Box Tavern on Forest Avenue starting at 5:30pm on Saturday October 21st.
