The heart attack: teamwork and timing saved Richard Mueller's life
Early one morning, Richard Mueller awoke to piercing pain in his chest, back and arms. He was having a heart attack.
"The night before, he seemed fine," recalls his wife, "that's why I was so scared when Richard woke me up that morning." She called 911 immediately and went to her husband's side. Sitting there next to him, she couldn't help but think, "Is this it? Is this how his life is going to end?"
A heart attack can happen at any given moment. And when it does, it's important to remember that time is muscle. "Each minute that goes by, more heart muscle dies, causing irreversible damage," says
Richard Kovach, MD, FACC, Virtua interventional cardiologist. That's why it's so important to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and get help immediately.
Chest Pain Center offers rapid treatment
Within minutes, the paramedics arrived and rushed Mueller to the emergency department at Virtua Marlton Hospital. "As a fully accredited Chest Pain Center, we have developed a precise process in which the paramedics, emergency department and cardiac catheterization team rapidly work together to diagnose and treat patients with chest pain," says
Michael Proper, MD, FACC, Virtua cardiologist.
Treatment begins with a battery of tests to determine the origin of the problem. In Mueller's case, he was having a heart attack. "We shocked or restarted his heart approximately 10 to 15 times, and this was just to stabilize his heart rate and blood pressure enough to move him to the catheterization lab for a more extensive testing," says Dr. Proper.
Diagnosing a heart attack
Once in the catheterization lab, a diagnostic cardiac catheterization was performed. Dr. Kovach threaded a catheter (thin, flexible tube) through a vein up into Mueller's heart. He injected dye and took an x-ray image to reveal blockages in the arteries around the heart.
Opening a blockage
"In Mr. Mueller's case, he had a complete blockage and needed an angioplasty to restore the blood flow," says Dr. Kovach. During this procedure, a catheter with a balloon on the end is threaded into the area of the blockage. Once in place, the balloon is inflated. This pushes the blockage against the artery wall and restores blood flow to the heart. Often, physicians use a wire mesh tube called a stent to hold the artery open to prevent future blockages.
Home sweet home
"Because Mr. Mueller got treatment so quickly, his heart sustained minimal damage," says Dr. Kovach. After only a few days in the hospital, Mueller was back on his feet and well enough to go home. "I feel great, and I am so thankful to be alive today," he says.
Watch a video about Richard Mueller and his life-saving team.
Physician profiles
Richard Kovach, MD, FACC, earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in clinical invasive cardiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association and The Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. His articles have been featured in publications such as the American Journal of Cardiology.
Michael C. Proper, MD, FACC, earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. He completed residencies in interal medicine at Bellevue Hospital in New York and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida. He completed a fellowship in cardiology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Proper is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and American College of Cardiology, and is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians and the Medical Society of New Jersey. His articles have been featured in publications including the Journal of the American Medical Association and Journal of Electrocardiography.