On Feb. 22, the day after America watched some of its strongest hearts
compete in Vancouver on the 30th anniversary of the “Miracle
on Ice” hockey game, a lucky patient at El Camino Hospital was
recuperating from his own miracle.
“I was watching the Olympics and a segment came on about the ‘Miracle on
Ice,’ featuring Jim Craig, goalie for the ‘Miracle’ team and now
national spokesperson for triple A awareness and screening”
The problem for 68-year-old Bob Maricle (pronounced “miracle”) was a
life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm (commonly referred to as
triple A). This condition, if not treated, can result in the rupture of
the aorta and sudden death. Ruptured aneurysms are frequently fatal and
are the third leading cause of death in men over 60.
Scheduled to do the procedure that day was interventional cardiologist
Dr. Jim Joye, a leader in the field of minimally invasive surgery.
Typically, such a procedure would entail surgically opening up the
patient's chest and possibly the abdomen, with all the attendant risks
of a complicated, four- to eight-hour major operation, requiring weeks
of recovery time before going home. Instead Dr. Joye, who is also
director of research and education at El Camino Hospital’s Heart &
Vascular Institute, performed a one-hour minimally invasive triple A
repair on Maricle, which involved placing a tiny
incision on each leg, at groin level. A stent was then threaded up
into the aorta, reinforcing the weakened arterial wall and keeping it
from rupturing.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (triple A) is the swelling or ballooning of
the abdominal aorta – which carries oxygen-filled blood from the heart
to the rest of the body. Vigilance about screening for triple A through
physician exams, CT scanning or ultrasound can help catch triple A
before the condition becomes extreme.
It turns out, however, that being able to give Bob Maricle a second
chance wasn’t the only satisfying part of the story for Dr. Joye, one of
the country’s foremost interventional cardiologists.
“I was watching the Olympics and a segment came on about the ‘Miracle on
Ice,’ featuring Jim Craig, goalie for the ‘Miracle’ team and now
national spokesperson for triple A awareness and screening,” said Dr.
Joye. “Jim Craig has become a colleague of mine over the years
especially since he has been so passionate about raising awareness of
triple A after a member of his family had died as a result. As I was
watching Jim talk about the importance of screenings for this condition,
I realized that Maricle’s procedure on February 22 was on the same day
as the 30th anniversary of the ‘Miracle on Ice,’ a day with
much significance for Jim. It was a coincidence but an exciting one. I
immediately texted him at the Olympic Games, and he was thrilled to
receive the message.”
Study: 40% of newly diagnosed heart failure patients also have atrial fibrillation