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Ron Howard is an active 63-year-old man, who loves the outdoors and enjoys nature photography. He noticed he was starting to get tired after doing minimal tasks. At first, he brushed his issues under the rug and attributed them to old age. Then, things got worse.
“I started having trouble doing simple things like yard work, trimming the hedges, taking out the garbage can,” Ron said. “That’s when I realized it was time to seek some professional help.”
Ron headed to St. Vincent’s East where he met Dr. Trent Howard.
“I had just had an arteriogram and as told I was in need of coronary bypass surgery. That hit me like a ton of bricks because I knew I had problems but didn’t realize it was anything as serious as it was,” Howard said.
Two days later, Dr. Howard, a Cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, performed the procedure on Mr. Howard. The Ascension care teams at St. Vincent’s East work together to meet the needs of patients by performing procedures in their cardiac cath lab or in one of their two operating rooms, dedicated to cardiac procedures. The cath lab at St. Vincent’s East offers minimally invasive, life-saving procedures to high-risk patients.
“The surgery went well,” Dr. Howard said. “He went home in just a few days.”
Ron Howard was feeling much better just a few short days later. As he continues to heal, he has plans to complete a 100-mile bike ride this summer. That’s something he wouldn’t have been able to do if not for the care teams at St. Vincent’s East.
“The staff at the hospital is fantastic. They have always gone above and beyond. The nursing staff especially took care of me,” said Ron.
Patients can ask their physician to refer them to the cardiovascular doctors and care teams at St. Vincent’s Health System for everything from vascular tests, emergency heart care or treatment options for ongoing heart conditions, where patients have access to advanced technologies, close to home.
VP of operations at St. Vincent’s East, Diana Scalici said people don’t have to go far to get top-notch cardiovascular care. “Our cardiologists enjoy treating patients in the community that they live in and work in. That’s one thing that makes St. Vincent’s East unique.”
Get the heart care that is right for you at ascension.org/STVHSheart.