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When Roger Stelle collapsed at home on the evening of November 18, 2025, his wife, Linda, called 911. The ambulance arrived quickly and took him to the emergency room at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
He was immediately identified as having an internal bleed, was intubated and received two massive transfusions. As the emergency room staff worked hard to revive him, Linda was fearful that her husband would not make it.
“Roger Stelle is truly a testament of the care offered at the hospital,” says Samuel Yelverton, MD, a general surgeon at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, who was called into the ER that night. He refers to the condition Stelle presented with as a “massive upper GI bleed.” He was later identified as having a gastric ulcer that had perforated, explains Dr. Yelverton.
“When Mr. Stelle got to the operating room, he was close to dying. He lost several liters of blood, and it was because of the quick responsiveness of the emergency, surgical and anesthesiology teams that we were able to control the bleeding,” says Dr. Yelverton.
Compassionate and Skilled Care
Linda felt a glimmer of hope again when Dr. Yelverton greeted her in the waiting room with a smile and explained that he was able to insert a tube, with a light at the end, into her husband’s stomach to help identify the location of his profuse internal bleeding. Dr. Yelverton was then able to cauterize the whole area to stop the bleeding.
“The majority of his stomach had to be removed, and Mr. Stelle underwent a long course of multiple surgeries to reconstruct his intestines,” says Dr. Yelverton.
Following his surgeries, Dr. Yelverton shares that Stelle received excellent care in the hospital’s intensive care unit and later continued his care in rehabilitation.
Living a Normal Life
“Roger is fully recovered and learning to eat without a stomach. He has lost 35 pounds and looks great,” says Linda Stelle. “I have nothing but praise for everyone who saved my husband’s life, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart,” she says.
“I have seen him for follow-up care in the office a few times since his ordeal,” Dr. Yelverton adds. “He is back to living a normal life, thanks to the amazing support he received from everyone at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.”
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is recognized for patient safety and award-winning clinical care. See our services and find a doctor at lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com.
8330 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
Physicians are on the medical staff of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.