As someone who works in Marketing and Communications for Yale New Haven Health, I often write copy aimed at promoting the vast array of healthcare services this organization provides. None of that was on my mind, however, the day I became a patient – the day I sat in the office of a cardiac surgeon at Yale New Haven Hospital discussing whether I will need open-heart surgery to fix an ascending aortic aneurysm.
I’m 62, and with a family history of coronary artery disease, I recently decided to get an elective test to assess my cardiovascular risk. The test – a coronary calcium scan – uses a CT (computed tomography) scanner to identify calcified plaques in and around the coronary arteries. The resulting score is an indicator of a person’s risk for heart disease, including heart attack, in the coming years.
Turns out, while I feel healthy, my score was not good: 411.9. A score of 0-100 is low risk, 101-400 is moderate risk, and over 400 is high risk for heart disease. Based on my score, my cardiologist ordered a stress test. Running on a treadmill while hooked up to monitors, my heart pumped blood through my arteries in a normal way – a good sign, at least for now. But new medications and lifestyle adjustments are also part of my new reality.
The real shocker, however, was that the radiologist who read my CT scan also noted an aneurysm in my ascending aorta. The ascending aorta is the main artery coming out of the top of your heart. It eventually turns downward and branches out, delivering blood to all the vital organs of the body. But like a weakened garden hose that one day might spring a leak, my aorta is dilating. If it reaches a critical stage – if it dissects or ruptures – it’s a life-threatening emergency.
To address this situation, my cardiologist referred me to Prashanth Vallabhajosyula, MD, MS, director of the Aortic Institute at the Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Center and professor of Cardiac Surgery at Yale School of Medicine.
Fortunately, Dr. Vallabhajosyula said my aneurysm’s size is not at a critical stage. However, genetic testing suggests that I have a predisposition for aortic disease. This means my aneurysm is likely to get worse over time. My new normal will require a CT test every six months to observe the aorta’s size. If it continues to expand, I will face the prospect of a surgical repair, which, for a thoracic aortic aneurysm, requires open-heart surgery.
(For other patients who have abdominal aortic aneurysms, less invasive endovascular stent repairs are often possible).
The good news for people like me: an ascending aortic repair has a survival rate of more than 95 percent if done electively and proactively. The survival rate for patients who suffer emergent ruptures or dissections is only about 50 to 55 percent.
There’s no denying it. My decision to get a simple coronary calcium scan has added great concern to my life. Yet it’s also given me the opportunity to be proactive regarding a potentially life-threatening condition. They say ignorance is bliss. These days, I much prefer to believe that knowledge is power.
With my doctors’ guidance, I’ve adjusted my meds, reduced my salt intake to lower my blood pressure, and I’m trying to exercise more. Today, I’ve also got my own world-class health system on my side. The people I write about are actually here for me now. Dr. Vallabhajosyula and the full resources of Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Center are ready to help.
Dr. Vallabhajosyula told me during my first appointment that he considers it a gift to do what he does, using his skill and compassion to team up in the operating room and save lives. It's humbling to realize firsthand what the experts at Yale New Haven Health can do for patients, including me, and I agreed to tell my story here in hopes that it will resonate with others.
The message, I think, is to be more proactive about your health. Some people avoid tests or even doctor visits because it seems too scary to know. The longtime smoker may avoid a lung cancer screening because they can’t bear the potential weight of the answer. But it’s a well-established fact that, for most conditions, including many types of cancer, early detection is the key to successful treatment and hopefully a cure. Mammograms for women and blood tests for male prostate health are two other examples where a simple test can potentially save your life.
Since I heard the news about my aorta, I am definitely more thoughtful about my future and aware of my own fragility. The news about my health is indeed worrisome, but it’s also a reminder that I’m alive, and there’s no time like the present to make the most of every day.
The power of knowledge, therefore, is that it forces us to find the courage to meet reality head on. It reminds us to appreciate every breath, every heartbeat, every loved one. And that’s why knowledge is really more than just power. It leads to gratitude.
