Facing a family history

Valpo man turns to Powers Health for heart care

He ate healthy foods, did not drink alcohol or smoke. He managed his stress. He meditated. At 64, Don Conrad could do 60 push-ups in a row.

“I checked all the boxes for a great heart,” the Valparaiso man said.

Having witnessed his father die at age 40 of a massive heart attack, Don had been intentional in living a lifestyle that would carve a healthier path. Aside from two bouts with cancer, his overall health was strong. Routine medical screenings revealed nothing alarming.

“I had very little plaque in my veins, so I figured my heart was OK,” he said. “I was kind of cocky about it.”

A friend who underwent a preventive heart scan encouraged Don to do the same, just to be sure.

“He was nagging me,” Don recalled. “But I felt great. I didn’t have issues.”

Partly to appease his friend, Don underwent a heart scan. The scan showed three blockages – including a 100 percent blockage and a 95 percent blockage – and the possibility of a fourth. Despite a lifetime of making healthy choices, Don – whose paternal grandparents also died from heart attacks – could not overcome his genes.

“I’ve been living this way to try to avoid surgery for the last 45 years,” Don said. “I’ve been trying to beat the genetics.”

Don followed up with Cardiologist Abdulrazzak Kawamleh, MD, who conducted a more thorough exam and referred Don to Cardiothoracic Surgeon Jason Frazier, MD.

Dr. Frazier performed a triple bypass on Don in January at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart. Motivated to begin the healing process, Don did not rest for long.

“The first day, I walked two laps around the unit,” he said.

After a four-day hospital stay, he was sent home with a good prognosis. Don, a married father of two, said he believes that good energy and the power of positive thinking play a key role in healing and in supporting overall health.

When it was safe to resume exercise, he headed back to a treadmill at the gym and started walking. His goal is to be off all medications one year post-surgery.

Don is grateful for the care team he had at St. Mary Medical Center. He and his wife, who is a chaplain at the hospital, later returned to the unit where he stayed so he could visit with his healthcare providers and give them cards of thanks.

“If I live to 67, I will be the first male in my immediate family to ever collect Social Security,” Don said. “I’m on my way!”

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.

On average, someone in the United States dies of cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds. Nearly 50 percent of adults in the United States have some form of heart disease or stroke, according to the organization.

Powers Health has established a reputation as a leader in cardiovascular care, consistently demonstrating expertise and commitment in treating patients at the hands of some of the Midwest’s most experienced heart specialists.

The healthcare system continues to invest in advanced diagnostic tools and treatment options to meet the cardiovascular needs of residents in Northwest Indiana.

Recent milestones include the following:

• Powers Health became the first healthcare system in Indiana to use the SEISMIQTM Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) system from Boston Scientific, an acoustic pressure wave therapy that supports physicians in treating patients with complex calcified peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a common circulatory condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, most often in the legs.
• Structural heart specialists successfully performed the transcatheter tricuspid edge-to-edge repair (TEER) on patients using TriClip by Abbott. This is an innovative, minimally invasive treatment option for people with tricuspid regurgitation, a common heart valve condition.
• Cardiologists performed the healthcare system’s first procedure using a pulsed field ablation system (PFA) that delivers targeted electrical pulses to treat areas of heart tissue that cause atrial fibrillation, or AFib. The new procedure offers a safe and effective alternative to traditional ablation methods.
• Powers Health achieved another milestone in cardiovascular care with a new minimally invasive approach to treat complex aortic aneurysms. A team at Community Hospital in Munster recently used the GORE EXCLUDER Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis (TAMBE). In open surgery, specialists enter through the patient’s chest and abdomen. With TAMBE, they access the aorta via the groin and use catheters to place a specially designed stent that helps blood flow to the liver, kidneys and stomach.