February is American Heart Month, a time to show some love to the most important muscle in your body with a blood pressure check and cholesterol test. For 46-year-old Megan, a routine blood test indicated that her cholesterol had gone up. Her general practitioner recommended a cardiac screening to look for plaque, fatty deposits in arteries that can lead to heart disease. But Megan’s test revealed a much bigger and potentially fatal issue. “There was no plaque which was a positive,” she said. “But when I read the report in the patient portal, it said ‘5 cm aortic aneurysm.’ I went online to research what this meant. I did not know of anyone that I knew personally that has had an aortic aneurysm.” She discovered that an aortic aneurysm is a ballooning or bulge of the aorta. It’s the body’s largest artery, carrying blood away from the heart, and if the aneurysm ruptures, it’s most often fatal.
Megan was obviously very worried, and she needed answers. “Normally, when you have a test like this, it takes a while to get notifications,” she said. “But since I did not have any symptoms and did not know this was happening, I wanted to act quickly.” She connected with Dr. Stuart Bresee, a cardiologist at UT Medical Center. He examined the report and introduced Megan to Dr. Raymond Dieter, a cardiothoracic surgeon. “Meanwhile, I had all of the necessary tests,” she said. “The tests included an EKG, echocardiogram, CT and a heart catheterization.” Dr. Dieter walked Megan through her diagnosis, the recommended surgery, risks, hospital stay and recovery. “The doctors were so responsive,” she said. “Their communication was excellent, and they provided outstanding support and consistent messaging throughout. I felt very comfortable and confident with them.”
Megan learned that many aortic aneurysms are larger than hers, but that did not allay her concerns. “Even then, people may or may not know they have one,” she said. “I just tried to be more careful and stopped strenuous activities.” Mentally, Megan knew she needed to stay strong for her family. “I have an amazing 12-year-old daughter in the 7th grade. She’s been a trooper, my inspiration through all of this,” she said. “I tried to keep as much normalcy for her.” Megan also needed to be resilient for herself. She tried not to be scared and told herself to just go in, tackle it, and get past it. “I had the utmost trust in Dr. Dieter and his team,” she said. “I had faith that everything would be okay.”
Finally, in October 2024, surgery day arrived. “I met with the anesthesiologists, and I was very relaxed,” she said. “The surgery was five hours. I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the ICU.” Megan was in the hospital for a week after surgery. “My stay was a little bit longer than normal because in addition to the aneurysm repair, it was determined I also needed a mechanical valve. It was a repair made during the heart surgery,” she said. And her type of operation also affected her recovery. “Depending on where the aortic aneurysm is, sometimes they do surgery through the groin,” she said. “With my type of surgery, they had to break open my sternum. That’s been the hardest part of healing.”
“Everything about UT Medical Center feels like home,” Megan said. “From the leadership of Dr. Dieter and his amazing team, the radiologists, the anesthesiologists, the nurses, physical therapists and techs on the Heart 7 floor, and everyone you encounter all make you feel at home. Our community is truly blessed to have UT Medical Center, and I will always be grateful.” In addition to the time in the hospital, Megan highly recommends the cardio rehabilitation in building E. “Knowing the rehabilitation team is monitoring your heart while you go through conditioning on the treadmill, bike and other machines gives you a strong peace of mind,” she said.
Today, Megan’s life is returning to normal. “I’m back to my routine. Each day, I feel a little bit stronger.” And she’s looking forward to enjoying her favorite activities again, including tennis, pickleball, and trips to the beach. Megan says an optimistic attitude is critical. “I just had to stay positive and keep the faith.”