Oracio Valenzuela
Mr. Valenzuela's life was at extremely high risk after experiencing a heart attack. The CABG surgery saved his life.
“Mr. Valenzuela’s case exhibited the most valuable use of Impella device to save a life and allowed him to have optimal treatment, which was the coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] surgery,” commented Renata Ford, MD.
Oracio Valenzuela, 58, took a weekend trip to visit his son in Fort Worth, Texas and also celebrated his 12th year anniversary with his wife. Saturday night, February 12th, he started to feel extremely restless and began to have trouble breathing. It was all very sudden. Prior to this occurrence, Mr. Valenzuela had never experienced any serious health issues. The couple thought maybe these symptoms were attributed to COVID-19.
The symptoms worsened and Mr. Valenzuela was driven to the emergency room by his son. After many tests, it was concluded that he had a heart attack. He went into cardiogenic shock. This occurs when the heart is very weak it cannot pump blood and does not generate enough pressure. Due to the heart problems he was experiencing, he was also diagnosed with pulmonary edema, a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This fluid collects in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Mr. Valenzuela needed to be connected to a breathing machine and had several tubes attached to his lungs in order to drain out the excess liquid. Prior to the CABG surgery, he was presented with the Impella device, which is designed to help pump blood to those patients who require short-term support. The device is a very small pump inside of a catheter with an electric motor that can deliver about 2.5 liters of blood per minute. After several days, Mr. Valenzuela’s heart began to gain strength again and the Impella device was removed.
On February 16, 2022, Mr. Valenzuela underwent the CABG surgery and was in recovery for about three weeks. CABG is a surgical procedure to restore normal blood flow to an obstructed coronary artery.
Mr. Valenzuela’s life was at extremely high risk and without this surgery, things could have taken a wrong turn. He is very grateful to have been given another chance at life. He was able to return to his profession as a mechanical engineer and to his wife, three children and grandchild. “All staff were extremely helpful and kind. Everyone is great at their job,” said Mr. Valenzuela.
This hospital is known for specializing in complex heart disease.
Learn more about the cardiology program at Methodist Hospital Texsan.