Dr. Dominick Bufalino, left, with his patient and President of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Eric Rhodes. Courtesy of Advocate Health Care/Andrew Smith
As president of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Eric Rhodes understands the fundamentals of healthy living, and he puts them into practice. He's 44 years old. He eats well. And he does strength training with weights .
So, when he felt a sudden tightness in his chest and shortness of breath during a Dec. 30 presentation at the hospital, he was concerned about the pain. He turned to a colleague to report his unexpected discomfort. Minutes later, he found himself being rushed to the emergency department.
"I was in a meeting doing a presentation, and couldn't catch my breath, and ended up sitting down to finish the presentation. It was really scary at that point," Rhodes said in an interview this week.
Fortunately, the hospital's Director of Emergency Room Services Therese Murphy was nearby and overheard Rhodes discussing his symptoms. She said he should go to the emergency room, less than 100 yards from Rhodes' office. Fortunately, Rhodes was able to walk.
The decision may have saved Rhodes' life, and provided a dramatic personal lesson of the importance of taking seriously the messages your body may be sending about your health, even if you're young and doing everything right.
Initial tests for electrical activity in his heart and for calcium levels found no abnormalities in Rhodes, but Advocate Medical Group interventional cardiologist Dr. Dominick Bufalino remained concerned. Knowing Rhodes' family history of coronary artery disease, Bufalino conducted a cardiac CT scan and discovered a potentially deadly problem.
Rhodes had an 80% to 90% blockage in his left anterior descending artery, the main artery that supplies blood to the heart. Blockage of this "widow maker" artery can lead to a fatal heart attack if left untreated.
"60 to 70%, that's typically the range at which blockages limit flow to the heart muscle, that's when we decide to fix them," Dr. Bufalino said in an interview. "So when he's in that 80 to 90 range, we're approaching pretty critical territory."
A stent -- a tube that can relieve an obstruction -- was placed in the artery before the situation could worsen. After an overnight stay, Rhodes was discharged Dec. 31 and has not felt symptoms since.
Nearly one in 20 adults aged 20 and older have coronary heart disease, but are not aware of the condition until they experience chest pain. While there is no set life expectancy for blocked arteries, blockage over 80% is considered serious as it highly increases the risk for a heart attack. Around 42% of annual heart attacks are fatal.
Rhodes said he is grateful he works in a place where his colleagues were quick to respond to his discomfort and save his life. On the road to recovery, Rhodes is undergoing cardiac rehab three days a week involving time on an upright bike and a treadmill. He continues to stay active daily with exercise.
"I feel great. My energy level is much better," Rhodes said. "I'm in a much better place, even mentally, knowing that peace of mind that this was taken care of."
Because coronary disease is not curable, but can be managed and prevented, Dr. Bufalino recommends that anyone over 40, especially with a family history of the diseases, get screened to detect blockage early on. The screenings should be repeated every five years or so to ensure arteries are in stable condition.
Advocate Health Care offers a free heart health assessment to help people better understand their heart health risks and connect them with cardiovascular services.
Rhodes said he hopes people take away from his experience that it is important to be familiar with one's family history and not ignore signs when something is not right with one's body.
"It had been really easy for me to dismiss it as indigestion or something like that," Rhodes said. "Do not ignore the signs, and particularly as a younger male, being cognizant you could live a healthy lifestyle and still have these sorts of things occur."