May 27--Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
The woman lying on the operating table can't see her heart beating steadily in the open cavity of her chest. And that's a good thing, because it's about to stop.
The spikes of the electrocardiogram glowing green on a nearby monitor spread and smooth out until all that remains is a flat line, thanks to the injection of a potassium solution that brought the heart to a halt. When it comes to heart surgery, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Robert Zink says, this is the second-coolest thing.
He can say that, of course, only because the coolest thing is when he restarts the heart -- complete with two new vessels for blood flow around blockages -- after he's operated on it. Once again it's pulsing -- lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub -- and the red crescent-looking edges of lungs can be seen inflating and deflating around it.
A heart-lung machine kept the woman's blood oxygenated and flowing through her body while her heart was still, and she was surrounded by competent people committed to making sure her procedure went smoothly. Even realizing this, though, it had to be nerve-racking for her to step into the hospital that morning knowing she was about to undergo major surgery -- which likely isn't anything she would have chosen for herself if she hadn't really, really needed it.
That just goes to show how important a heart is.
Almost 900,000 people die of cardiovascular disease yearly in the United States, making it the country's leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association. And the St. Joseph area specifically "is just a great area for coronary artery disease," Dr. Zink says.
He adds that Heartland Regional Medical Center performs about 400 open-heart surgeries each year, which is more than many other hospitals across the country and more, too, than most other hospitals in the Kansas City area.
This doesn't say anything too positive about the overall heart health of St. Joseph and its surrounding cities, but Dr. Zink, along with Heartland cardiologist Dr. Robert Grant and a number of others, are hoping this year's St. Joseph Heart Walk will be a step toward better heart health here.
Dr. Zink and Dr. Grant are the co-chairs of this year's walk, which will take place June 7 at Heartland. Walkers will gather near the intersection of Faraon Street and Heartland Drive to register at 9 a.m. and to begin the approximately 2.5-mile walk at 10 a.m. The goal of the event is to raise $55,000 for the American Heart Association.
"I'm into the preventative aspect of health, and knowing that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans, it's so important to raise money to combat it," says Helen Caton, the walk's event coordinator and a fitness specialist for Heartland's Wellness Connections.
Dr. Zink also emphasizes the importance of preventing heart disease by avoiding some of its main causes, including obesity and smoking. The higher incidence of these in this area than in many other parts of the United States is a main reason for the higher rate of heart disease here, he says, but educating people on the importance of being active and making other healthy lifestyle choices stands a chance to change this.
The most important thing people should do to prevent heart disease, however, is also the most impossible -- and that is to be careful in choosing their parents, Dr. Zink says.
Given that this can't be done, putting money into research on how to treat the disease is just as important as educating people about how to avoid it and to recognize its symptoms. Money raised by the Heart Walk will go toward both of these, as well as toward community outreach.
If advances made in recent years in heart-disease treatment are any indication, it seems that funds raised by the American Heart Association and similar organizations have been put to good use -- which should give Heart Walk participants hope that their efforts really can make a difference.
"What we're able to do today, 15 years ago was a dream," says Dr. Grant, who knows this firsthand not only as a cardiologist, but also as the father of two children who have undergone heart surgery.
"What we can do to treat heart disease is amazing, and it's only going to improve."
Want to walk?
Anyone interested in participating in the St. Joseph Heart Walk either as an individual or as part of a team can sign up at http://heartwalk.kintera.org/stjoseph. The Web site also accepts donations to the American Heart Association.
Lifestyles reporter Erin Wisdom can be reached at ewisdom@npgco.com.
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