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Riverview Medical Center Vascular Surgery PREVENTS SILENT KILLER MeridianHealth.com • 1-800-DOCTORS 14 When a life-threatening health issue strikes, we often assume there will be some warning that can help us prevent it. But unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, especially with stroke — the third leading cause of death among Americans. Thankfully, the proactive approach taken by experts at Riverview Medical Center can significantly reduce the chance of this silent killer in at-risk individuals. Joan Hando, 72, of Middletown, knew she had a heart murmur. Her primary care physician had detected it and referred her to Julie Master, D.O., a Riverview Medical Center and Meridian CardioVascular Network cardiologist. Dr. Master conducted testing to further investigate the cause of the murmur. She learned that Joan had mild plaque buildup, or stenosis, in the left carotid artery, which branches off from the aorta and supplies blood to the brain. “My stenosis was so mild it didn’t require immediate treatment and I didn’t think much of it,” Joan explains. “I had no symptoms whatsoever, and it didn’t affect my life in any way. Although I knew I had a family history of heart disease, if Dr. Master hadn’t found it I would have had no idea it was there.” Problems Can Grow Without Symptoms Joan went to Dr. Master regularly to monitor her carotid stenosis. But in December 2012, the narrowing in her carotid artery suddenly got worse. Although Joan still felt no symptoms, Dr. Master recommended she meet with Owano Pennycooke, M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon with Riverview and Meridian CardioVascular Network, to discuss treatment. “When I met Joan she had 80 percent narrowing of the artery — a far more serious case than we had anticipated,” Dr. Pennycooke explains. “Her risk for stroke from the condition was high. When plaque builds in the artery, pieces can break off and block blood flow to the brain. This can lead to significant disability or death.” Due to the seriousness of Joan’s condition, Dr. Pennycooke scheduled Joan for surgery right away.
Joan Hando, pictured here with her grandchildren Luke and Brooke, is the queen of the “hot golden girls,” a part of the Red Hat Society. Joan enjoys watching the Yankees and spending time with her family. Staying One Step Ahead of Stroke Dr. Pennycooke performed a carotid endarterectomy at Riverview to remove the plaque in Joan’s left carotid artery. The surgery involved making a 3 to 4 cm incision along the strap muscles of the neck. Dr. Pennycooke then isolated the carotid artery and placed a tube, called a shunt, above and below the blockage to maintain blood flow to the brain while removing the plaque. After removing the plaque, he removed the shunt and closed the artery. The entire surgery took less than two hours. Although Dr. Pennycooke also corrects narrowing of the carotid artery using minimally invasive procedures, such as carotid artery stents, he believes it is beneficial for some patients like Joan to have open surgery. “For patients who are healthy enough for open surgery, the carotid endarterectomy allows surgeons a better view of the plaque and the ability to remove it. This results in better blood flow through the artery and less risk for stroke,” Dr. Pennycooke says. Time to Try AngioScreen ® Owano Pennycooke, M.D. Board certified in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery Red Bank • 732-403-2075 Exceptional Care and Comfort Joan, who chose to have the surgery at Riverview, spent just one night at the hospital and went home the next day. She had no major pain, and her recovery was speedy. “My care at Riverview could not have been better,” Joan says. “The morning after my surgery, my pain level was a zero on a scale of zero to 10. The nurses were constantly working to make me comfortable. I couldn’t have been happier.” Today, Joan is back at home with her husband enjoying life and spending time with her grandchildren. And she’s relieved the problem has been resolved. “By having a carotid endarterectomy, Joan’s risk of stroke is reduced by 50 percent for the next five years — a significant improvement,” Dr. Pennycooke explains. “It provides peace of mind.” Joan now warns others to be aware of their risk factors and ask their doctor to check their carotid artery. Risk factors for plaque buildup in the carotid artery are the same as those for heart disease, including a family history of heart disease, older age, smoking, inactivity, obesity, and more. “I was so fortunate to have doctors who found the problem and took care of it before it was too late,” Joan says. “Don’t wait for symptoms to act. Be aware of potential issues and get checked.” ... because what you learn can save your life. AngioScreen identifies your risk for heart attack and stroke. Learn more about Riverview Medical Center’s October 9 AngioScreen event on page 22. Riverview Medical Center Meridian HealthViews • September/October 2013 15
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