A labor of love. That's how Frank A. Kudlacz, 50, of Lavista describes the time-intensive hobby of restoring his '79 "red-on-red" Corvette. In fact, he put his whole heart into the project – which isn't an easy task when one considers Frank's complex heart health history.
This electrician's story is one of mystery, discovery, pain and joy – and a true appreciation of the fact that he is alive to appreciate all of his daily activities.
Frank's story begins when he was a little boy. Suddenly, out of the blue, he would experience heart pain and a rapid heartbeat. The only way to stop the pain was to bend down and bear down. As he grew older, the pain episodes were more frequent. "I mentioned this to my family doctors as I grew up, but everyone discounted my pain," notes Frank. "No one believed that a little boy or a young man in his 20s or 30s could experience serious heart problems."
Finally, A Diagnosis
Ten years ago, at age 40, Frank experienced one of his now-familiar episodes where his heart skipped and went into an irregular heartbeat – called tachycardia. This time, Frank could not stop the rapid heart rate. "When I arrived at the Creighton University Medical Center emergency room, my heart was still in tachycardia," recalls Frank. "My heart rate was at 315 beats a minute and everyone in the ER was amazed that I hadn't passed out."
Tom T. Hee, M.D., a cardiologist at Creighton University Medical Center, finally was able to give Frank the diagnosis that eluded him for so long – supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. SVT is an abnormal heart rhythm that originates above the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart. Many people experience short periods of SVT and have no symptoms. However, SVT becomes a problem when it occurs frequently or lasts for long periods of time with symptoms including palpitations, light headedness and chest pain. Frank's heart history finally began to make sense.
At the time, the options to treat SVT were open heart surgery, a pacemaker or drug therapy. Frank opted for the medications, which worked quite well. When he felt an episode begin, he would take the pills and within 10 seconds his heartbeat would return to normal.
Four years later, however, at the relatively young age of 44, Frank truly received his "wake-up call." He says, "In November 1994, I was sitting at home, watching TV and eating candy when one of my episodes started. I took the drugs but it didn't stop the rapid heartbeat and the heart pain was absolutely excruciating. I called the Volunteer Fire Department, who arrived at my house immediately and drove me straight to Creighton University Medical Center's emergency room. After tests were run, I asked the doctors when I could return home. They told me they couldn't let me go home – I had experienced a heart attack."
It was an ironic moment for Frank, as two weeks earlier he had been at the bedside of his mother at Creighton University Medical Center, who was recovering from open heart surgery. Dr. Hee told Frank that a procedure was available called catheter ablation which might help his condition. In this procedure, cardiologists identify the nerve that is causing the irregular heartbeat and then "burn" the nerve out through a catheterization procedure.
After the ablation was successfully performed, Frank was placed on a prevention regimen that included rehabilitation, diet and exercise. He eventually lost 26 pounds and has felt terrific ever since. Frank is closely followed by Dr. Hee every three months.
"I know this sounds like a cliché, but The Cardiac Center has given me a new lease on life," Frank says. "The staff provides very personalized care and are supportive of prevention efforts. Also, their expertise is amazing. They were able to diagnose me and take care of the problem. The place is great."
A Center with "Heart"
According to Syed M. Mohiuddin, M.D., Frank Kudlacz' "mystery disease" and treatment vividly illustrates the expertise provided at The Cardiac Center. Dr. Mohiuddin has served as director of The Cardiac Center since 1996, and was the associate director for the 13 previous years.
"The Cardiac Center, which was built in 1993, is a freestanding outpatient building that is exclusively dedicated to outpatient cardiology services," Dr. Mohiuddin explains. "The Center combines patient care with clinical and bench research to provide patients with some of the latest advances in cardiac care." Dr. Mohiuddin adds that the freestanding center is unique to the area. "Unless you travel to Chicago or Kansas City," he adds, "there is no other freestanding facility with our capabilities."
Last year was a period of growth for The Cardiac Center. The facility added Metabolic Stress Testing, which allows for a more extensive evaluation of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). In addition, the Therapeutic Monitoring Clinic continued to grow, providing intensive monitoring and education for patients taking anticoagulants and antiarrhythmic agents. The Center's catheterization laboratories feature three new hemodynamic monitoring systems to keep close "tabs" on a patient's progress. The Echocardiology Laboratory operates 11 sophisticated machines. The Center also purchased 15 new "event recorders" to monitor patient's hearts, and these machines have been placed at many of the referring physician offices.
"Recently, our Center performed a new procedure involving the removal of thrombus (clot) from the coronary arteries," Dr. Mohiuddin points out. "This procedure, using the AngioJet Catheter, adds to our current capacity for treating patients who present with acute coronary problems." The technique uses a well-known principle in physics to quickly and thoroughly remove thrombus. A high-velocity saline jet within the catheter creates a vacuum that pulls thrombus into the catheter and out of the patient's body.
Another advance offered in the Center is "radial artery catheterizations." Traditionally, catheterization procedures were performed via a puncture in the femoral artery in the groin. This required prolonged bed rest and careful observation to avoid complications associated with the arterial puncture.
"At The Cardiac Center," says Dr. Mohiuddin, "the majority of these procedures are preformed via the radial artery in the wrist. This allows immediate removal of the sheath from the catheter. There is less risk of excessive bleeding, low risk of complications and the patient can resume normal activities in a few days. Patient comfort is significantly improved and the hospital stay can be shortened."
Clinical Trials
As a university-based program, The Cardiac Center has several clinical trials currently under way in the areas of hypertension, congestive heart failure, coronary stents, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, acute heart attack, post heart attack, arrhythmias and lipids.
Dr. Mohiuddin is the principal investigator of ALLHAT – "Antihypertensive and Lipid Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial" – and the "Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Viagra in Males with Erectile Dysfunction and Arterial Hypertension who are Taking Multiple Antihypertensives."
"Our clinical research helps separate us from other community hospitals in the area," notes Dr. Mohiuddin. "This involvement allows us to give patients direct access to some of the newest drugs in the cardiovascular field."
Full Range of Services
Another strength of The Cardiac Center is the fact that it offers such a comprehensive range of preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation services for patients.
Prevention Services
Dr. Mohiuddin notes that prevention services include nutrition education, stress management, smoking cessation and exercise programs.
Diagnostic Services
Diagnostic tests include EKGs, Holter monitors, stress echocardiography exercise tests, pharmacological stress testing, nuclear scintigraphy stress testing, and transesophageal, stress and pharmacological stress echocardiograms.
Treatment Services
The Cardiac Center manages implantable cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers. It also performs advanced cardiac catheterization procedures, including myocardial biopsy and atrial pacing.
Focus on Rehabilitation
The multidisciplinary Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to restore and enhance optimal cardiovascular function, notes Dr. Mohiuddin. The program is conducted in a large, advanced rehabilitation center equipped with sophisticated exercise and monitoring equipment. The outpatient exercise program is designed for individuals who have had a heart attack, coronary artery bypass surgery, cardiac valve replacement, coronary artery angioplasty or other heart procedures – or who have been diagnosed with heart disease. Participants must be referred by their physician, who receive regular reports on their patients' progress.
The exercise training programs at the center are individually designed to meet the needs of participants. Each exercise prescription is formulated by the exercise physiologist and the program's medical director according to the results of the initial medical evaluation and any recommendations from the referring physician. In addition to exercise programs, regularly scheduled stress reduction and smoking cessation courses and massage therapy are available as well as heart healthy eating programs and workshops.
These programs are all designed to provide patients with information and support needed to face the challenges of lifestyle modification, says Dr. Mohiuddin.
Strong Commitment to Patients
"In 1999, our cardiologists evaluated hundreds of new patients each month in outpatient and inpatient settings in Omaha and in communities in Iowa and Nebraska," notes Dr. Mohiuddin. "Serving these outlying communities continues to be a key part of our mission.
"Despite the high volume of patients," Dr. Mohiuddin adds, "our cardiologists continue to be involved in some of the latest cardiovascular research. They will also continue educating physicians – both primary care and specialists – in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. This is in keeping with our long-established mission of quality patient care through education and research."
For more information about The Cardiac Center or to make an appointment, please call 280-4566.