According to Penn State employee Dave Demers, it was power that saved his life this year -- the power of science, the power of skilled caregivers, the power of prayer.
An adjunct professor in the Executive Education Programs in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State, and an alumnus of the University with a master of business administration in business logistics, Demers spent 20 years in the public sector after graduation. Returning to Penn State three years ago, he now guest lectures and consults, taking the Penn State executives sessions and customized programs to businesses around the world.
On June 12, Demers was in the classroom on the University Park campus and something felt wrong. With no history of heart disease, he was experiencing dizziness, disorientation and a feeling of discomfort in his chest. Characteristic of his stubborn style, Demers shrugged it off as heartburn, but did ask to go to the hospital.
Minutes after he arrived at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Kevin Mishock, the attending physician in the emergency department, introduced himself. That was the last thing the faculty member recalls. His heart had stopped and Mishock and the team at the Medical Center began the fight to save Demers' life.
Just weeks earlier the Medical Center, under a master affiliation agreement with Penn State, the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and in collaboration with Centre Medical and Surgical Associates, finished the grueling training process that would allow them to perform percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). This coronary intervention procedure, performed at the Medical Center's cardiac catheterization lab, uses a special balloon-tipped catheter inserted into the thigh of the patient and threaded to the blocked coronary artery of the heart. The balloon is then inflated to widen the artery to allow blood flow to return to normal for patients suffering a myocardial infarction or heart attack. Prior to this procedure, patients needing interventions were flown to another facility, losing crucial time in the air. By offering the procedure at Mount Nittany Medical Center, critical patients such as Demers receive the life-saving intervention within minutes of the emergency call.
The procedure was developed under the medical directorship of interventional cardiologist Steven Ettinger of Penn State Hershey Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute. The affiliation agreement among the hospital, the University and its medical center has brought this additional resource to the area.
Albert Zoda Jr. was the interventional cardiologist on call when Demers arrived at the emergency department. His team of respiratory therapists, registered nurses and trained cardiopulmonary staff worked swiftly to perform the interventional procedure. With little time to spare, the team stented the blocked artery, preserving heart muscle and blood flow to Demers' heart, brain and the rest of his body.
"The team at the medical center invested in Dave's life. From the moment he stepped in the door, they were invested in getting him through this," said Karen Demers, Dave’s wife of 33 years and a seasoned nurse. "Dr. Zoda was truly extraordinary. He is skillful and talented and carries a remarkable quality of spirituality and humility.'
With tears in her eyes, Karen described the excruciating minutes while Dave was undergoing the procedure.
"Dr. Zoda told me what they were going to do, and said he would call in 50 minutes. He did -- almost exactly 50 minutes later. From there, Dave was in the intensive care unit," said Karen. "The staff was amazing."
But coming back from a heart attack is hard, and the family spent most of the summer with many touch-and-go moments. However, through Demers' determination or stubbornness, the knowledge and skills of the Medical Center team, and the prayers of friends around the world, he did come back -- and he came back strong.
On Sept. 12, the couple returned to the Medical Center -- this time walking in -- to thank everyone who was part of the recovery. And on Oct. 4, Demer returned to his Penn State classroom for the fall semester.
Demers puts it succinctly: "I am normal now. I can think. I have breath. These are gifts."
Through their agreement, Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State, and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center continue to explore other areas, such as cancer treatment, neurosurgery and pediatric sub-specialties, where they can collaborate to better serve the region.
About cardiac catheterizations
A cardiac catheterization is a nonsurgical, diagnostic procedure that allows the cardiologist to view blood vessels and chambers inside the heart to assess damage, plaque build-up or obstructed blood flow.
During this procedure, a small, hollow tube, also known as a catheter, is threaded into an artery or vein, often starting at the thigh or arm and ending at the heart. The patient is usually awake during the procedure and endures little to no discomfort.
Routine cardiac catheterizations vs. interventional cardiac catheterizations
A routine or diagnostic cardiac catheterization may be ordered for patients at risk of a heart attack, while interventional cardiac catheterizations are performed on patients in the midst of a heart attack to determine the extent of the blocked arteries.
About Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
While the cardiologist performs the cardiac catheterization (routine or interventional), if any damaged, narrowed or blocked blood vessels are found, the cardiologist will perform a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI, to open the artery, allowing blood to flow unobstructed. A PCI can include a balloon catheter angioplasty or stenting.
During a balloon catheter angioplasty, a cardiologist uses a cardiac catheter to insert a small balloon into the narrowed artery. The balloon is filled with liquid repeatedly to push the plaque build-up to the sides of the artery. This opens the artery and allows proper blood flow.
A stent, which is a hollow, mesh metal tube, is placed in a vessel to keep it open following a balloon angioplasty to prevent the blood vessel from closing or constricting during and after the procedure.
Percutaneous Coronary Interventions are done in emergency situations when a patient is having a heart attack due to an obstructed blood vessel in the heart. Time lost is muscle lost.