Local Patients Share their Heart-Healthy Stories

2/12/2024

This article was originally published by the Northwest Indiana Times

One patient thought all she had was heartburn. Another patient was just for a checkup. They both had heart problems.

Rivich spoke Wednesday during the Stories from the Heart program at Northwest Health-Porter, while Bob Szot addressed the annual Hearts of Hope campaign Thursday at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart.

Northwest Health CEO Dr. James Leonard said heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the U.S. He quoted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that one American dies every 30 seconds from heart disease.

However, Leonard noted, with new medical procedures, technology, and lifestyle changes, people can change those figures. People can also help raise awareness of this disease, the emergency room physician said.

Rivich’s story began last Mother’s Day. Complaining of heartburn, she took some over-the-counter meds, but they did not work. She asked her husband Mike for help, but when he found his wife unconscious on the floor. he called 911 and started CPR.

At the hospital, doctors found that Rivich’s heart had stopped. Despite defibrillation efforts, the Portage woman could not sustain a heartbeat. At the catherization lab, interventional cardiologist Dr. Fahd Syed and his team found that Rivich had 100% blockage in the largest artery in her heart. Syed placed two heart pumps, one on each end of her heart, to assist her heart’s pumping function. He then placed a stent to open up the blockage and return blood flow to the heart.

After being moved to intensive care, Rivich was put on a ventilator and underwent an induced coma and therapeutic hypothermia, a medical cooling of the body, to improve her chances of recovery.

Five days after Rivich’s heart attack, the hypothermia and ventilator were removed. As her heart grew stronger, the pumps were removed. She was released after 12 days of hospitalization.

Today at 60, Rivich, a runner and cyclist, continues to remain physically active. She learned her problem was genetic, “but my healthy lifestyle was a huge factor in my recovery and survival,” she said. “It was nothing like a ‘typical’ heart attack. All along I thought I had heartburn.”

Syed added, “That shows the resilience of the human body. She made it through all that, despite the odds.”

“Early detection is the key thing,” said lead interventional cardiologist Dr. Sandeep Sehgal.

Szot shared his story during the 19th annual Hearts of Hope campaign at the Hobart hospital. Funds raised go toward cardiovascular care.

Szot’s story begins in early 2021, when he went to SMMC for a checkup. His physician, Dr. Kais Yehyawi informed him he had atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is a quivering or irregular heartbeat that disrupts the flow of blood between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. If left untreated, the condition can result, especially in older patients, in several complications, including blood clots, heart failure, and stroke.

“I never had a heart problem before,” said Szot, 82, a retired middle school history teacher of 32 years and retired firefighter after 52 years.

After undergoing an atrial oblation, the Crown Point resident was chosen to be part of a clinical study for a Watchman Device. About the size of a quarter, the device goes into the heart and acts like a filter.

Three years later, Szot, whose weight has never exceeded 170 pounds, is off blood thinners and he feels fine.

“It’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Szot said of the Watchman. He continues to take baby aspirin regularly.

SMMC and Community Hospital in Munster have been part of a national clinical study on the Watchman. The study is expected to be completed in three years.

Yehyawi, who also heads up the SMMC cardiac catherization lab, has worked in cardiac care for 34 years. He noted that while the heart is a strong pump, it is also susceptible to a number of diseases. Fortunately, he added, science is learning more about the heart, thanks in part to clinical trials.

“I’m inspired by the gains we’re making,” Yehyawi said. “Together we are transforming patients’ lives in Northwest Indiana.”

As for Szot, he’s learned “you gotta be careful. Get those checkups and listen to your doctor.”

The retiree added, “I’d glad Dr. Yehyawi did this for me. I did not want to be on blood thinners for the rest of my life.”

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for 931.578 deaths in the U.S. in 2021. Heart disease and stroke claimed more lives in 2021 in this country than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined.

The AHA further reports that between 2017 and 2020, 127.9 million U.S. adults, or 48.6% of the population, had some form of CVD. Between 2019 and 2020, direct and indirect, including lost productivity, losses from CVD were $422.3 billion.

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