CUMBERLAND — Jim Twigg was moments away from the operating room when he had some major second thoughts.
But after a little prodding from his wife of 48 years, reason overpowered anxiety and he underwent surgery at UPMC Western Maryland’s Heart and Vascular Institute.
Last month, Twigg became the 5,000th open-heart surgery patient since the program’s inception in 2000.
His operation involved a bypass and valve replacement.
“I’ve never been operated on before,” said Twigg, 67, of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. “I was thinking about putting my clothes on and going home. … This was all something new to me.”
Now, he’s pleased with the outcome of his surgery.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m not out of breath like I was.”
Twigg, who retired and then became a part-time driver for a local company that transports bulk mail, talked of going back to work in the future.
His wife, Gay, who recently retired from UPMC Western Maryland as a registered nurse in the behavioral health field, credits the medical staff who cared for her husband during and after his surgery.
“They were fantastic,” she said. “I really can’t praise them enough.”
Symptoms, history
Mark Nelson is a cardiothoracic surgeon who specializes in open-heart surgery at UPMC Western Maryland.
He said continuity of care and repetition are key in the operating room.
“It’s like running a fine-oiled machine,” Nelson said.
What causes many folks to need open-heart surgery?
“Lifestyle,” he said and emphasized the importance of a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Nelson said folks should discuss health concerns and family history with their primary care provider.
“Don’t ignore symptoms,” he said.
Nelson said the younger a heart patient is, the more likely they have a family history that includes cardiovascular disease.
‘Second chance’
Erich Bean is an administrative judge for the state’s district court in Allegany and Garrett counties.
His father was age 34 when he died of a heart attack.
“I was 2 years old,” Bean said.
In September, at age 47, he suffered a heart attack as result of significant blockage in his coronary arteries.
Bean changed his diet, began walking and lost 30 pounds prior to recent heart surgery where he became number 5,004 on the Heart and Vascular Institute patient list.
Today, he’s optimistic about his future.
“I look at this as a second chance,” Bean said. “I don’t plan to waste it.”
He researched out-of-town options before he chose Nelson to perform his surgery.
“The level of care that I’ve gotten from everyone involved … has been outstanding,” Bean said, adding Nelson’s expertise and the Heart and Vascular Institute are “a blessing” for the community. “You don’t realize it until you need it.”
One team
Chrissy Lechliter is chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at UPMC Western Maryland.
She is one of the original members of the Heart and Vascular Institute program.
“I’m really proud of the cardiac team that we have here,” Lechliter said.
Open-heart surgery on average lasts four to five hours, and recuperation, which includes a cardiac rehabilitation program, can last 16 weeks, she said.
Patients develop relationships that foster bonds and trust with hospital staff, Lechliter said.
“We’re basically taking care of our own community,” she said.
Savannah Kenney is director of the Heart and Vascular Institute and critical care services.
The program includes 60 to 70 patients per day, she said.
“They’re very busy,” Kenney said of “one giant” heart and vascular team that provides efficient care for patients.
‘Very grateful’
Cumberland resident Wayne Droll was the program’s first open-heart surgery patient in November 2000 due to blockage in his left anterior descending artery.
“That’s what they call the widow maker,” Droll said.
Now 71, he reflected on the local care he received.
“It’s been 24 years since I had surgery,” Droll said. “I’ve been able to do what I want to do. I feel very grateful.”
Frostburg resident David DeWitt, 70, underwent open-heart surgery with Nelson that included an aortic valve replacement in 2008, and a second replacement last year.
“I feel wonderful,” he said.
“It’s just amazing how the science works,” DeWitt said and talked of the medical officials who cared for him.
“It’s routine to everybody but you.”
A former runner, he now walks with his wife daily for exercise, minds his weight and monitors his blood pressure.
DeWitt encourages other folks to take seriously any heart health symptoms.
“Keep listening to your body and don’t be afraid to reach out for help,” he said.
“Don’t think (a problem) is going to go away or fix itself because it won’t.”