Surviving a Heart Attack

Speed Heals

A multi-disciplinary approach that saves time — and lives.

Matthew Hunken never expected that just a week after celebrating his twin sons’ 15th birthday, he’d be fighting for his life. Mr. Hunken was feeling fine until he noticed what he thought was nothing more than heartburn. But once he started to feel dizzy and lightheaded, he knew something wasn’t right. He called an ambulance. Good thing. Mr. Hunken was suffering from a massive heart attack.

Within minutes, the ambulance arrived. So did Mr. Hunken’s wife, a registered nurse who had just finished her shift at a community hospital. When the paramedics asked what hospital to take her husband to, there was no hesitation in her request: “Loyola.”

Mr. Hunken arrived at Loyola where an EKG test was performed. It showed he was suffering an acute myocardial infarction (MI) — a left coronary artery blockage that stops all blood flow to the largest chamber of the heart and can result in sudden death. Mr. Hunken was immediately taken to a catheterization laboratory. To re-open his closed artery, the physician performed an angioplasty, inserting a tiny balloon catheter into his coronary artery. To keep the artery open, a stent was placed into the previously blocked area.

In situations like this, according to Fred Leya, MD, medical director, Loyola Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, and professor of medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, timing is crucial to the patient’s survival and prognosis. “The national standard is 90 minutes from the time a heart attack patient is admitted to the moment the artery is opened; Loyola’s goal is 60,” Dr. Leya said. “Every minute a patient awaits treatment increases the likelihood of permanent heart damage or death,” Dr. Leya added.

Loyola’s cardiac team performs more than 1,500 angioplasties annually, far outpacing community hospitals. “With our level of expertise and multi-specialty approach, our team can immediately treat heart attack patients and address any complications,” Dr. Leya said. “Community hospitals typically don’t have our depth of physician experience readily available on-site, nor are they technologically prepared to handle critical situations.”

Loyola’s breakthrough “hybrid” design of its new catheterization labs allows for an immediate response to serious complications from a heart attack. Each of the catheterization labs may instantly be turned into an operating suite to accommodate heart bypass or even heart transplant surgeries.

In the United States, 1.5 million heart attacks occur each year, resulting in 500,000 deaths. More than 80 million people in the United States suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. Loyola has consistently been at the forefront of treating heart and cardiovascular disease. In 2003, it became the first hospital in the Chicago area to perform an angioplasty with the placement of a drug-eluting stent that prevents the overgrowth of cells in the widened artery. Loyola also is one of just two Chicago-area facilities using low-density lipoprotein apheresis to cleanse LDL, sometimes referred to as “bad cholesterol,” from the bloodstream. Additionally, Loyola’s team is doing pioneering work with innovative cardiac assist devices. Also known as an artificial heart, a cardiac assist device is designed to help rest traumatized heart muscle and give patients a better chance to make a long-term recovery.

Latest technological advances paired with top specialists and sub-specialists translate into the best treatment options for any heart condition. From electrophysiologists who diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms to thoracic/ cardiovascular surgeons who, among other things, perform heart transplants, the Loyola team of skilled physicians, nurses and technicians treats a diverse range of heart and vascular diseases. They effectively work together to save lives of patients just like Mr. Hunken. The day after Mr. Hunken’s heart attack, his doctor ran a battery of tests that determined the patient’s heart muscle was undamaged. Matthew Hunken, his wife and their three children know just how lucky he is to have made a full recovery. “A week before my attack I was on a cruise ship in Mexico. I can’t help but wonder what if?” Mr. Hunken said. “At Loyola they did everything right — the way it should be done. I don’t know what would have happened had I been somewhere else.”

Where to Learn More

To make an appointment with the Loyola Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, call (888) LUHS-888. Visit www.LoyolaMedicine.org/heart for more information.