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W
hen you’re a little hazy about how
many heart procedures you’ve had,
you’ve probably had a lot. Just ask Douglas
F. Mauro, 63.
Over the past 20 years, he’s had about a
dozen interventions. He’s had stents. He’s
had a bypass. He’s had coronary artery
plaque sanded down to improve blood flow.
In addition, this retired Chicago
policeman lost a leg to diabetes years ago
and more recently had a stroke.
“He’s a very, very tough individual,” says
Douglas Tomasian, MD, a cardiologist with
Centegra Health System. “He kind of has
nine lives.”
That may even be an understatement.
Just last year, Mauro had a series of very
close calls. He’s still with us, thanks to his
wife; a neighbor; Centegra associates; and
the LifeVest, a special wearable defibrillator
that can sense erratic heartbeats. It shocked
him back to life. Twice.
“It worked exactly like it was supposed
to,” he says.
HISTORY OF HEART TROUBLE
The incident is the latest, and perhaps
most dramatic, of Mauro’s many cardiac
stories. They start with his first procedure
in 1993 in Chicago. Over the years, Dr.
Tomasian says, Mauro developed ischemic
cardiomyopathy, a weakened heart muscle,
following advanced coronary artery disease
and multiple heart attacks.
In 2013, Mauro says angina sent him to
Centegra Hospital–McHenry for another
procedure. While there, he
suffered a stroke and received
emergency treatment.
During his recovery, doctors very
aggressively treated his heart problems,
which included relieving fluid buildup
in his lungs. “That took the strain off
his heart, and we got him feeling better,”
Dr. Tomasian says.
LIFEVEST TO THE RESCUE
The next concern: abnormal heart rhythms.
The solution is often a permanent,
implanted defibrillator. However,
Mauro needed time to recover first, so
Dr. Tomasian suggested the LifeVest.
The device is worn under the shirt and
attaches to a monitor that hangs from a
shoulder strap. If the monitor senses a
dangerous rhythm, the vest delivers a shock
to restore a normal pattern.
That’s what happened a few days later, as
Mauro waited for a ride to the barbershop.
“I was just waiting for my neighbor by
the kitchen door, and I didn’t feel well,”
Mauro says. He thought his blood sugar was
dropping. A few seconds later, though, the
vest’s alarm sounded.
The device activated once, and then again.
His wife and the neighbor administered
cardiopulmonary resuscitation before the
ambulance arrived.
After Mauro was stabilized at Centegra
Hospital–McHenry, doctors installed the
permanent device.
Today, Mauro feels well. He continues
rehabilitation, keeps up with medications and
watches his diet. He also credits Centegra.
“Everybody is so fantastic,” he says. “Not
only are they extremely knowledgeable
and good at their jobs; they’re also very
compassionate.”
While Mauro’s case is more complicated
than most, it does showcase the range of
cardiac services Centegra provides.
“What we offer at Centegra is a full
scope of both basic and advanced cardiac
therapies,” Dr. Tomasian says. “The vast
majority of patients can get all of their
treatment right here.
“We are very rooted in our community and
we have a commitment, top to bottom, to
deliver the very best care we can,” he says.
Lifesaving
cardiac device
sparks recovery
Ease concerns about your heart
health with Centegra’s leading-
edge cardiac screenings. For
information, call
877-CENTEGRA
(
236-8347
) or visit
centegra.org/
screenings
.
