Dave
Even though Dave speaks to local companies about cardiac risk factors, he ignored his own symptoms for years. “I was exhausted by 7 or 8:00 every evening,” he said. Luckily, a co-worker convinced him to get a nuclear stress test at Summa Barberton Hospital. Based on the results, he was sent immediately to the cath lab where doctors discovered a completely blocked coronary artery. Over the next two days, they inserted six cardiac stents.
“I was scared to death,” said Dave. “But I knew the physicians and cath lab staff were the best in the area. My first night home, I couldn’t believe how good I felt.”
Tony Solaro
Tony Solaro survived a severely blocked coronary artery thanks to quick coordination between Summa hospitals. “I was carrying luggage upstairs and had a pain in my sternum that just took my breath away. So my personal physician scheduled a nuclear stress test at Summa Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital. Within just a few seconds, I collapsed on the treadmill.”
He was immediately given a nitroglycerin tablet and rushed to the ER for X-rays and blood tests. They quickly transferred Tony to Summa Akron City Hospital, where a cardiac catheterization team was prepped and waiting. “The catherization went very well,” he said. “My blockage was about 97%.” He went home the next day with a new cardiac stent.
“I must say that because they were prepared, it was a calming experience,” said Tony. “At Summa Akron City Hospital, someone was brought down to stay with my wife while I had the procedure. It brings tears to your eyes that someone would care that much for somebody. I was uncomfortable that night and couldn’t sleep, but the nurses and physicians were in my room, sitting beside me, asking if I needed a pain pill, did I need fluids, did I want my television on. They really care about you as a person.”
“It all happened seamlessly,” said Tony. “The coordination between hospitals was extremely important. We’re very fortunate that just up the road we have a hospital with a wonderful emergency department and another hospital minutes away that can handle anything. In just a few hours, I was taken care of and able to go home the next day. It was truly a wonderful outcome from what I consider to be a genuine life-or-death situation.”
Chick Carst
Chick Carst struggled with cardiac arrhythmia for 81 years. “They would say I had a heart murmur or irregular heartbeat,” he said. “I was always on the verge of passing out. I couldn’t ride roller coasters or elevators. I didn’t have the energy all the kids did. Couldn’t get insurance. Sometimes I couldn’t get a job.” Even with his heart problems, he served in WWII, got married and became a father.
In 2001, Chick’s family doctor recommended he see a heart specialist at the Summa Cardiovascular Institute. “He just put me at ease right away and lined me up for an operation.” In our state-of-the-art Heart Rhythm Services Lab at Summa Akron City Hospital, he used a catheter and radio waves to eliminate the abnormal conduction in the portion of heart muscle responsible for the arrhythmia, immediately curing Chick’s racing heart.
“I didn’t feel a thing,” said Chick. “All of a sudden it clicked, you know. I had a regular heartbeat. My heart beats as good as yours. I honestly believe they gave me ten more years of life. When I got home, I wanted to do everything. I seemed like I didn’t want to go to sleep now. I want to go, go, go.”
Today at age 90, Chick still works on a golf course three days a week. “I may live to 100. I have nothing but good words for Summa hospitals. I can’t say enough about the hospital treatment I got.”
Al Branham
Al Branham went in for a routine physical, which quickly led to a stress test, then to a heart cath, and ultimately to robotic heart bypass surgery at Summa Health System.
“This type of surgery is fairly new. It was minimally invasive surgery. I had about a two-inch incision made on the left side and you really have to look at it to see that it’s even there.”
The Summa surgeon did all the controls to the robot from the computer so his hands were never inside Al’s chest cavity.
“It was top notch. The nursing care at Summa is terrific. I was treated like a king.”
Al was home within three days after the surgery.
“I hurt some but nothing like you would get from being cut through the sternum. Three months after I had the surgery, I was out spreading ten ton of gravel on a patio. I felt like a million bucks.”
Jim and Joan Dishong
Joan Dishong suffered from aortic stenosis, a disease where the valves of the aorta do not work properly. She had a double heart valve replacement at Summa.
One of her valves was leaking, and one was just not functioning properly. This was frightening not only for Joan, but for her husband Jim.
“To be honest with you, I was scared to death. But everything worked out great; she couldn’t ask for better care.”
Joan is thankful that she turned to Summa for her care.
“I know I would never go anyplace but Summa. The recovery was excellent. From the cardiologist to the surgeon to the people in the intensive care unit to the rehab staff. They’re just a marvelous bunch of people. To this day I go back to visit them because I consider them all friends.
Jim Stewart
”At a convention in Las Vegas, Jim Stewart had discomfort in his chest. After doctors there advised him he could travel, he immediately left to come back to Akron for medical attention.
“I was advised to have open heart surgery. Triple bypass, it was at Summa…and it was very successful.”
Jim’s son Preston felt unnerved, but glad that he sought treatment at Summa.
“Kind of has you scared out of your mind, but we knew my father was in good hands. Summa knew how to comfort the family members as well. They kept us informed every step of the way.”
The small vessels going into Jim’s heart were very blocked. “It was close, my surgeon saved my life.” After the surgery, Jim had 12 weeks of cardiac rehab, and he was up and going in no time.
“The nurses and doctors at Summa were very professional, and I thank them still today.”
