New test helps those with family history of heart disease

The new scan that can save lives

For the last 26 years, Greg has been under the care of internal medicine specialist Keith Krawiec, MD, and without his doctor’s persistence and attention to detail, Greg doubts that he would still be here today. 

“Dr. Krawiec had become well-versed in my family history, he took the time to learn it, and through that, he began to educate me on my potential for a cardiac complications due to my hereditary influence,” he said. “For five years he encouraged me to get a coronary calcium scan (CCS), and for five years I put it off thinking that I was doing everything right and didn’t need a test to tell me I was healthy.”

A CCS is a special computerized tomography scan of the heart that identifies calcium deposits in an individual’s heart arteries. Despite eating a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis, Greg agreed to the scan 10 days before he was due to get his hip replaced. 

“I was lying in my hospital bed recovering from hip surgery when Dr. Krawiec called with concerns about my test results,” he said. “The test not only indicated that I had advanced clogging in my arteries that had been building up over time, but my score was higher than any patient score he had seen.”

Greg’s results revealed that calcification of his arteries was not allowing blood to flow like it should, which increased the possibility of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. After a consultation with a cardiologist, he underwent a stress echocardiography and was informed his results were “fine.” However, Greg’s daughter, a former oncology nurse, insisted that he get a second opinion. 

The second time around, Greg’s new cardiologist found his number to be alarming, uncovered he had a recent minor dyspnea episode, and ordered a cardiac catheterization procedure, where a doctor inserted a small, flexible tube into a blood vessel to measure the pressures within his heart chambers, take blood samples, and confirm his oxygen levels. His physician discovered he had multiple arteries with significant blockage, Greg would require heart bypass surgery. 

“I never experienced any symptoms and practiced healthy lifestyle habits, and yet, I had over 70% blockage in the arteries around my heart,” he said. “Without Dr. Krawiec, I may never have been able to proactively rectify this situation allowing me to avoid more serious cardiac issues.”

Greg not only credits his physician and the knowledge of this scan with saving his life, but for helping to save the lives of his siblings who have the same family history of heart disease and are now able to get ahead of any concerns through testing. 

“My younger brother required two stents following the outcome of his scan,” he said. “Dr. Krawiec didn’t only give me the gift of life, he has helped my family to catch things we may have missed and allowed us to have more time to spend together. The quality of physicians Baptist Health has is astounding, and their dedication to our health is unmatched. I trust them with my life, and the lives of those I love, and what is more important than that when it comes to good healthcare?”