Page 9 - JupiterSpotlight - April '24

Jupiter Spotlight, Page 9
Bravo! Bravissimo! Palm Beach Opera’s Gala

Was A Spectacular Event

The Nonprofit Raised $710K sopranos on the world’s stages today, who also has performed her Palm Beach Opera debut as Musetta in La bohème in the
in television and film, Isabel Leonard. company’s historic 2021 festival. A fixture in Met: Live in
In one of the major events on the annual social calendar, Thanks to the unwavering commitment and passion of HD international broadcasts as both a frequent host and star
Palm Beach Opera (PBO) brought together opera lovers the gala chairs, gala host committee, and gala council, the performer, she regularly appears at the Metropolitan Opera
and community leaders for a stunning annual gala at The company was able to present the illustrious artistry of Isabel and with major opera companies around the world, including
Breakers Palm Beach that raised $710,000 to support the Leonard at one of the most iconic venues in our area. In Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Royal Opera House,
opera’s productions, education and outreach initiatives, and addition to the unforgettable evening, the incredible support Vienna State Opera, Salzburg Festival, Festival d’Aix-en-
resident artist training. we raised ensures that PBO can continue its important work Provence, Glyndebourne Festival, Canadian Opera Company,
The evening began as 305 guests enjoyed a jovial cocktail of delivering world-class opera, providing meaningful arts San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Leonard’s
reception in the Venetian Ballroom before moving into the education, and training the next generation of opera stars. appearance at the gala was generously underwritten by Mr.
Mediterranean Ballroom which featured a lovely white Guests enjoyed an intimate recital by mezzo-soprano Isabel and Mrs. Sanford Fisher.
chiffon draped stage. It was just the start of an unforgettable Leonard, a three-time Grammy Award-winner who made Accompanied by acclaimed pianist John Arida, who has
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gala night that included a sumptuous dinner with fine wines collaborated with some of the most celebrated artists in the
and an intimate recital by one of the most sought-after mezzo- classical music industry, Leonard performed selections from
Bizet, Valverde, Offenbach, Sondheim, Bernstein, Gardel,
Rossini, Tesori, and Arlen. Palm Beach Opera’s talented
resident artists also made an appearance in the recital, sharing
the stage with Leonard in both the Habanera and Seguidilla
(which featured resident artist tenor Garrett Evers) from
Carmen by Bizet.
After the recital, guests enjoyed a delectable dinner
in a sumptuously, butterfly and blue themed decorated
Venetian Ballroom. Throughout the meal, gala supporters and
underwriters were thanked for their support of the evening by the

John Arida and Isabel Leonard Rebecca and Randell Doane Robert and Ann Fromer

Isabel Leonard and Ari Rifkin Lee and Jeffrey Alderton

Joan and David Genser Judy and Jerry Kaufman Robert and Julie Desnick Stefano and Carole Acunto Palm Beach Opera’s Gala on page 10

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SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH CARE

Fewer patients face traditional open-heart surgery as

minimally invasive procedures continue to evolve.

By Valerie Staggs

When Dr. John Gibbon performed the first conditions is heart valve disease, which, as For Sabbah, these new structural heart
successful open-heart bypass procedure in the name suggests, relates to a defect in a treatments allow him to provide patients
1953, the medical world gained its first heart valve. “The heart has four chambers with the life altering results they are desper-
glimpse at the possibilities for treating this and four heart valves. Their function is to ately seeking. “One of the most rewarding
vital organ with innovative medical inter- open and close in harmony so that blood aspects of my specialty is offering pa-
vention. Today cardiac surgeons perform flows through the heart in the proper di- tients who aren’t feeling well the option
over 900,000 procedures annually and by rection,” explains Sabbah. A “leaky” valve of a minimally invasive procedure. In
2029, cardiac surgeries are projected to can cause blood to back up into the lungs most cases, they are feeling better in as
reach 1.3 million each year. The increase and elsewhere, at times causing significant little as a week. There is nothing better
is attributed not to open-heart procedures, symptoms of shortness of breath, dizziness, than that.”
but to more minimally invasive options and even sometimes chest pain.
now available to physicians.
New procedures such as TAVR (transcath-
While Gibbon paved the way for the use eter aortic valve replacement) enable car-
of open-heart procedures to treat serious diologists like Sabbah to fix valve defects
heart conditions, the introduction of new through minimally invasive methods. The
cardiovascular technologies in recent years TAVR procedure involves a small IV, typi-
has enabled patients to avoid the need for conditions that affect the structure of the cally in the groin area, to allow access to an
open-heart surgery in many cases. Today heart, specifically the heart’s valves, walls, artery. A catheter is then inserted into the
cardiologists are able to diagnose and treat chambers or muscles. These conditions artery and guided through that blood vessel
many heart conditions early before they can be congenital, meaning they have been to the heart where the clogged up valve is
lead to future complications. with the patient since birth, or they can be located. The new tissue aortic valve is then
caused by other adverse conditions in the deployed inside of the defective aortic valve.
“The landscape of cardiac care has body such as high blood pressure, an infec- The average TAVR procedure takes about
changed significantly over the past de- tion or autoimmune diseases such as lupus one hour, and most patients return home
cade,” says Dr. Michael Sabbah, an inter- or rheumatic fever. Simple aging can also the next day. Patients report a significantly
ventional and structural cardiologist at Ju- lead to structural heart defects. About 2.5% improved quality of life after the procedure.
piter Medical Center. “We are now able to of all Americans suffer from structural heart
treat defects and disorders of the heart be- disease. TAVR is just one of the treatment meth-
fore they lead to more serious conditions.” ods cardiologists now have available to treat
Thanks to recent developments in the treat- structural heart disease. Similar treatments Michael Sabbah, MD
The defects and disorders Sabbah refers ment of structural heart disease, cardiol- available include MitraClip and Am-
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to are collectively known as “structural ogists like Dr. Sabbah now have a host of platzer Septal Occluder . Both involve To learn more, visit
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heart disease,” a sub-specialty of cardiol- different options for treating their patients. putting a device in place to fix a structural
ogy. Structural heart disease is defined as One of the most common structural heart abnormality. jupitermed.com/cardiology.
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