In 43 years as a Franklin & Marshall College professor, Ira Feit taught thousands of students. He never imagined he would later cross paths with one who would save his life.
Feit turns 68 this week, thanks to cardiothoracic surgeon and former student, Dr. Jeffrey T. Cope.
Cope performed emergency open-heart surgery Feb. 11, saving the life of the man who taught his freshman microbiology course more than 20 years ago.
Said Feit, "I never expected that to happen in my lifetime. No professor expects something like that."
Cope said Feit's condition was an extreme case of mitral valve prolapse. This happens when a heart valve that is supposed to keep blood moving in just one direction malfunctions, allowing blood to move in two directions. The operation, called a complex mitral valve repair, was necessary to stop blood from backing up into Feit's lungs, Cope said.
At a visit to his family physician, Dr. Gary S. Gehman of Family Practice Associates of Lancaster, Feit complained of shortness of breath. He was immediately sent to see cardiologist Dr. Rupal P. Dumasia of The Heart Group, who evaluated Feit's status first with an echocardiogram and then a heart catheterization Feb. 11. Results were unfavorable.
"I got called urgently to the cath lab," said Cope. The moment Dumasia said the patient's name, Cope knew it was his former professor.
Cope, who has performed mitral valve surgery hundreds of times, said :
"All cardiac surgeries can be stressful and the stakes can be a little higher when you know the person. Myself and my team just had to stay focused and perform the operation."
At first, Cope planned the surgery for early the next morning, but that quickly changed.
"After an hour or so, it became clear that he wouldn't have made it," Cope said. If Feit had not visited his family doctor and had the whirlwind of tests as a result, Cope said, "I am certain he would not have made it through the night. ... Things happened pretty quickly for him that day, thank goodness."
Feit remembers being prepared for the heart catheterization. After that, the next thing he recalls is coming out of sedation from surgery. When he learned what transpired, he said, "I was overwhelmed. I was astounded, because I didn't expect an emergency to arise."
Feit said he remembers his former student. "I remember him as very bright and serious," he said.
Cope, 41, remembers Feit as "an outstanding teacher and a guy you could look up to. He had a mild temperament, was very bright, very approachable to a student.
"He was loved by all the biology majors," said Cope, who was one among them.
Cope sees Feit's microbiology class as the cornerstone of his medical studies. "When you think about it, the cell is the basic building block of life itself," he said. "So he really did lay the foundation for my medical school."
Cope graduated from F&M in 1988. He completed a 10-year residency at the University of Virginia Hospital in 2002, and joined Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Lancaster. Having been born at Lancaster General Hospital where his mother was a nurse, Cope said he felt right at home.
Feit said he's grateful for Cope and the practice that brought him back to Lancaster.
"It's rewarding to have so many wonderful students, there's no question about that," he said. "And, in this case, to have one end up being a skilled professional that ends up giving me my life back, that's rewarding."
Said Cope, "It's kind of satisfying to see it come full circle."
Jeannette Scott is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact her at jscott@lnpnews.com or at 291-8689. 
