A Heart for Healing at AdventHealth Redmond
For years , former South Georgia resident Emily Bolen had been told her recurring symptoms of chest pain , tachycardia and shortness of breath were nothing to be concerned about . But last September , when the new mother sought medical help for postpartum complications that included chest pain , an X-ray and subsequent CT scan revealed a culprit that was anything but routine — a 4.9-centimeter aneurysm on her ascending aorta .
“ All the symptoms I ’ d been having for the past three years led up to this ,” Bolen said . “ Before that , I had only been told I was normal .”
A consultation with her mother ’ s cardiologist in Rome , Georgia , confirmed the diagnosis .
“ He told me I was going to have to have it repaired ,” Bolen added . “ That was super scary because my son was only three months old at the time .”
Her surgeon performed the open-heart procedure in February at AdventHealth Redmond . The goal was to treat the thoracic aneurysm by replacing the weakened segment of the aorta with a fabric tube called a graft . The surgery was successful , and Bolen was transferred to a standard room at the hospital after spending only a couple of hours in the intensive care unit .
“ My experience was topnotch ,” the 26-year-old said . “ The doctors had high hopes because of my age and my health , despite the aneurysm .”
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