Local Resident Benefits From Advanced Cardiac Procedure

Orange Regional Restores Quality of Life with Elective Angioplasty

Harvey Schauer was being prepared for routine glaucoma surgery when an electrocardiogram, or EKG, detected abnormalities in his heartbeat. The retired woodworker, who lives in Middletown, was referred to Orange Regional's Peter Frommer, M.D. Heart Center at the Horton Campus in Middletown for further testing.

After undergoing a diagnostic cardiac catheterization at Orange Regional, results showed that Mr. Schauer, in fact, had suffered a heart attack and was in danger of having another one. To the 78-year-old's surprise, he was informed that he probably had suffered what is called a "silent heart attack" or a minor cardiac episode that goes unnoticed. One of the arteries serving his heart was 95 percent blocked. "I was amazed," said Mr. Schauer, a Navy veteran who was born and raised in Port Jervis. "I'd had a near miss and didn't even know it."

The blockage posed a danger. Mr. Schauer needed an angioplasty: a procedure in which a tiny catheter and balloon are used to reopen a clogged artery. Once Mr. Schauer's artery was opened, the cardiologist positioned a stent, or narrow tube, in his artery to keep it open. The procedure was minimally invasive and only required a one-inch incision in his upper thigh near the femoral artery, as most angioplasty procedures do.

As in Mr. Schauer's case, once a cardiac problem is identified through diagnostic procedures, Orange Regional usually can correct the problem. Angioplasty procedures take about 40 minutes to perform, depending on a patient's condition and anatomy. Often, a patient may go home after several hours of recovery, although sometimes an overnight stay is necessary. The Peter Frommer, M.D. Heart Center offers patients and their families the convenience of staying local for this life saving procedure.

Mr. Schauer received the surgery on a Wednesday morning and returned home at 11:00 a.m. the next day. His incision didn't need a single stitch and healed fine. Mr. Schauer was treated by Dr. William Gotsis, Co-Director of Orange Regional's Catheterization lab.

"I haven't had any pain since," Mr. Schauer said a few weeks after his procedure. He plans to resume his busy schedule visiting friends and relatives and working on projects in his woodshop.

"If anybody were to ask me about this procedure, I would say it was life saving," boasts Mr. Shauer. "My doctor was fantastic and the staff at Orange Regional was super! They all took great care of me."