After receiving a Heart CT Scan, Richmond resident David Jay found that "15 minutes can save your life." That's how long it took the Darke County man to get the painless scan, which cost him all of $29.
The outwardly healthy 54-year-old considers himself physically fit and active. In fact, Jay was feeling great last summer when he scheduled a computed tomography (CT) scan through Reid Heart & Vascular Center in Richmond, IN. So great, in fact, he never dreamed that his chest wall was cloaking the infamous "widow maker."
A CT scan measures calcium buildup in the heart's arteries; the higher the score, the more likely that heart disease is present. Jay was startled when his high score led to a visit with Reid cardiologist Feras El-Bash, M.D. Additional tests revealed a 100% blockage in Jay's left anterior descending artery – the widow maker – and two 70% blockages in two other arteries. The Ohio man met with Reid cardiovascular surgeon E. Paul Howanitz, M.D., that same day.
"Dr. Howanitz told me I needed triple bypass surgery, and explained exactly what the surgery would involve and what I needed to do afterward to get better," Jay said. "I've got nothing but exemplary words about Dr. Howanitz and his team—they are fantastic."
Following 13 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation at Reid, David Jay returned to his job as a lead manufacturing supervisor at Parker-Hannifin in Brookville, Ohio.
"Be proactive, no matter how healthy you think you are," Jay said. "Dr. Howanitz and Dr. El-Bash both said that, with the blockages I had, I probably would have had a major heart attack within the year, and I would not have survived due to the locations of the blockages. When you think about it, that $29 heart CT scan saved my life."
The Heart CT Scan is available at Reid for only $29. It can be scheduled (without a referral) by calling 765-983-3358.
For the full story go to Reid Heart and Vascular Center.
