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Escaping an Unforeseen Killer
Bill Volk considered himself an active 60-year-old who was in good shape and excellent health.
But his world was rocked when an abdominal aortic aneurysm suddenly became a time bomb that
threatened his life.
While working in a structural steel
shop, Bill started to experience
lower back pain and figured
he simply had strained a muscle. The next
day, he started to feel increasing stomach
pains. By that afternoon, he felt like there
was a dagger being twisted in his gut. His
wife, Mary, took one look at Bill and knew
something was terribly wrong. The couple
left their Tinton Falls home and headed to
the Emergency Care Center at Riverview
Medical Center, where they were greeted
by patient representative Terri Thein.
Terri assists with registering patients
in the care center and was familiar with
the triage process, which helps to identify
the severity of a patient's condition. Bill's
skin was pale and gray and his distress
was obvious, so she promptly called for a
triage nurse and Bill was rushed into the
treatment area. Doctors felt a mass in Bill's
lower abdomen and a CT scan confirmed
that he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm
(known as AAA or triple A). A surgeon was
called immediately.
Triple A is a bulge in the abdominal
area of the aorta, the body's main artery.
The aorta carries blood from the heart to
the rest of the body. When a section of it
is overstretched, it can burst and cause
serious bleeding, which can quickly lead
to death. Unfortunately, most aortic aneurysms
don't cause symptoms until they are
close to rupturing, and they are most likely
to be discovered by a physician during
other exams or tests.
Racing Against the Clock
As Bill was getting prepared for surgery,
his eyes rolled back and staff members worked from all directions to provide Bill
with blood and oxygen and stabilize him
before heading to the operating room. "It
all happened so fast and was incredibly
frightening," says Mary.
As a board certified specialist at
Riverview Medical Center, vascular surgeon Alfonso Ciervo, M.D., knew this
was a very serious situation. "Once an
aneurysm bursts, a patient can be mere
minutes from death," says Dr. Ciervo. He
called and spoke to Mary, explaining the
gravity of the situation and what the surgery
would entail.
A Team by Their Side
Mary spent the next few hours in the surgical
waiting area, where staff members
stayed by her side. "I was so impressed,"
recalls Mary. "Terri even came up from the
Emergency Care Center and stayed with
me the whole time."
Meanwhile, Dr. Ciervo was using an
advanced, minimally invasive surgical
technique to treat Bill. He made two small
incisions (each about 2 inches long) in
the groin, and used an aortic stent graft to
reach the aneurysm.
"When I first woke up in the ICU, I
was frightened and confused," remembers
Bill. "I'd always been in good health, and
suddenly this happened. I feel indebted to
the entire staff." Bill's minimally invasive
procedure allowed him to go home a few
days after surgery, in contrast to the one to
two-week stay that traditional surgical
methods require.
In addition to the phenomenal care that
he felt he received from the nursing team,
Bill believes that he owes his life to Dr.
Ciervo. "He came to bat and hit a home
run!" says Bill.
 – Donna Sellmann
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You've probably heard that blocked or narrowed
arteries are a major risk factor for
cardiovascular disease. But this buildup
of fatty material, called plaque, can occur
in arteries throughout the body, causing a
host of serious health problems including
stroke, aneurysms — even amputation.
Fortunately, your doctor can detect vascular
diseases linked to narrowed arteries
with these three screening tests:
Carotid Duplex Ultrasound: This test helps find
blockages in the carotid arteries. Doctors also
use this painless test to determine how to
treat any blockages before a stroke occurs.
Aortic Screening: Aortic screenings can
identify potentially fatal aneurysms in the
aorta — a major artery that runs from the
chest to the abdomen. This helps doctors
identify the presence of an aneurysm, as
well as its size and location.
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Scan: PAD
scans check blood flow in the leg arteries.
This helps doctors find blockages, determine
their severity, and decide whether
treatment is needed.
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