Triple bypass has race fan ready for ‘victory lap’

Eric Pedersen wasn’t expecting a heart attack while in town for a weekend of NASCAR races, but after triple bypass surgery at Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear, he’s ready to return to the track for a “victory lap.”

Pedersen was enjoying Championship Weekend at nearby Phoenix Raceway when he started having chest pains. After a third episode of chest pain, the 56-year-old called his hometown doctor in Olympia, Washington, who advised him to seek care as soon as possible.

“I went to an urgent care and got blood work and an EKG,” Pedersen recalled. “They said I had unstable angina and needed a hospital, so I was brought to Abrazo West Campus in an ambulance. It was pretty clear I had a serious problem. One of those episodes had been a heart attack.”

As luck would have it, Abrazo West Campus has a brand-new cardiovascular operating room, ready for its first open heart patient. After more tests and consultations with physicians and his family, Pedersen was scheduled for surgery the next day.

“The doctor came to meet with me, answered all my questions and gave me options,” Pedersen said. “I talked it over with my wife and sister and decided let’s just get it done. The next morning, I had a triple bypass. It was pure luck it happened that I was the first patient in the new operating room.”

Bypass surgery was performed by Abrazo cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Merick Kirshner.

“We look at cardiac surgery in a holistic fashion to determine what is best for the patient,” Kirshner said. “The cardiovascular surgery program and new operating room at Abrazo West Campus offers the platform for West Valley patients to get this critically-needed care close to home.”

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery, aortic valve and mitral valve replacement are examples of the types of procedures offered in the new cardiovascular operating room at Abrazo West.

The campus has invested millions of dollars in new technologies and facilities for heart patients over the past year. In addition to the new operating room, the cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology lab received upgrades and a new interventional radiology suite was just completed.

“The West Valley is growing, and families want care close to where they live,” Kirshner said. “Having a high-quality open-heart surgery program at Abrazo West Campus means that patients no longer need to go to a downtown hospital if they need cardiovascular surgery.”

Abrazo West Campus has a seasoned, experienced team of nurses, physicians and support staff, and for Kirshner, the open-heart program reflects the hospital’s commitment to quality across all of its services.

“It raises the bar for everyone,” he added.

“Abrazo has made it a priority to expand cardiovascular services in the West Valley. The new OR and our open-heart program supports life-changing procedures for those who need high-acuity cardiovascular care,” Abrazo West Campus CEO Hans Driessnack said.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. About 18 million American adults have coronary artery disease, making it the most common type of heart disease in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pedersen, who retired after 33 years in a stressful career, said heart disease runs in his family. He had symptoms in the past and expected it would catch up with him some day.

“Every single person I met here at Abrazo West was so nice,” Pedersen said. “I’m grateful and thankful for the care they provided.”

Although he watched the weekend’s races from his hospital bed, he’s feeling better and already planning a return to the track.

“Heck yeah, I’ll be back to do a victory lap,” he joked.

For more information about Abrazo Health hospitals, take a free health risk assessment or to find a doctor, visit www.abrazohealth.com.