|
A Beating Heart Bypass Patient Story
Gene Vest traveled 270 miles to learn he was on the path to a heart attack
Even though Gene was feeling fine and regularly active, he was facing a serious heart condition. But he didn’t know it until he took one simple, eye-opening test.
A heart scan at Union Memorial Hospital showed Gene was in danger of a heart attack. “It was a big surprise. I had no symptoms — no pain or shortness of breath,” said Gene, 74, of Covington, Va., who scheduled the heart scan as part of a trip to visit family.
Like Gene, many people with coronary artery disease have no signs or symptoms. Too often, the first sign of trouble is a heart attack. That’s where a heart scan comes in. This high-speed CT screening is a simple way to get clear pictures of the coronary arteries and determine if a person is at risk for a heart attack.
“His heart scan showed severe heart disease,” said Union Memorial cardiologist Dr. Miriam Cohen, “and a cardiac catheterization later showed that all three of his main arteries were almost totally blocked.”
Within two days of seeing Dr. Cohen, Gene underwent triple bypass surgery, but with one big difference. His heart kept beating during surgery, a procedure known as beating-heart, or off-pump, coronary artery bypass. It replaces the more conventional use of a heart-lung machine, which allows surgeons to stop the heart during surgery.
When the heart is stopped, patients are more vulnerable to strokes, kidney failure and memory loss. By eliminating the heart-lung machine, beating-heart surgery reduces these risks and patients recover faster and experience shorter hospital stays.
“It’s not the actual heart operation, but rather the heart-lung machine that is responsible for the majority of post-operative complications,” said Dr. Luis Dibos, cardiac surgeon at Union Memorial who performed Gene’s bypass surgery. “We believe all patients requiring bypass surgery are potential candidates for the offpump technique.”
Union Memorial has led the way in beating-heart bypass since the technique was introduced and uses the technique for 83 percent of patients requiring bypass surgery.
For Gene, the heart scan experience was so highly motivating that he urged his brother and friends to get tested.
“I’ve hardly been sick my whole life, but that test may have saved my life,” said Gene.
Benefits of beating-heart bypass surgery
- Heart function is preserved
- Greater protection for the lungs, kidneys and other organs
- Less risk for complications such as stroke, memory loss and kidney failure
- Fewer blood transfusions
- Shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery
Heart scan: Know your score
Many heart attacks occur in people who had no previous symptoms or warning. Now, there’s a simple way to zero in on your risk for a heart attack.
A heart scan is a screening exam that measures calcium deposits inside the coronary arteries, which can lead to a heart attack. The screening is painless, takes about 15 minutes and requires no medication.
The results are given as a score. As the amount of calcium identified in the coronary arteries increases, the score increases. While a high score doesn’t mean you will have a heart attack, it does provide a clear diagnosis of heart disease.
Heart Screenings
Buy a heart scan gift certificate for a loved one
Take a heart health quiz
The screening is most appropriate for men age 40 and older, women age 45 and older and people who have risk factors for heart disease but no symptoms.
|
Print
E-mail
