ike the unexpected surprise of
L winning the lottery , Mr .
Wilhite ’ s brush with death also came as a shock . What started as sharp back pain turned out to be a serious aortic dissection , a splitting of the wall of the aorta , the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body . Aortic dissection is frequently misdiagnosed and without early intervention is often fatal .
Mr . Wilhite was 53 years old the day he bought the winning ticket in 2002 . He later decided to retire and move to Kingsland , TX , to be close to his son and his family . “ My son had just built me a new house and I spent that memorable Sunday cleaning things up . That evening while sitting down , I felt like someone had driven a knife into my back ,” he says . Mr . Wilhite endured a restless night in excruciating pain . The next morning , he asked his son to take him to the Scott & White Executive Health Program in Temple so he could be examined by his primary care physician , David Havemann , MD , medical director of Executive Health , Section of Preventive Medicine at Scott & White Healthcare ; and associate professor of internal medicine , Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine .
“ They were ready for me . Dr . Havemann ordered a CT scan and right away they figured out what was wrong . I remember him telling my son that I had a lifethreatening emergency ,” says Mr . Wilhite .
Because of Scott & White ’ s coordinated approach , Mr . Wilhite was put in the care of the right specialists immediately . Cardiologist Gene Terry , MD , chief , Section of Intensive Care Cardiology , Scott & White Healthcare ; and professor of medicine , Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine , and surgeon Wade Knight ,
MD , clinic board of directors , Scott & White Healthcare ; and associate professor of surgery , Texas A & M Health Science Center College of Medicine , were brought in to discuss the best course of treatment . They compared Mr . Wilhite ’ s dissection to a leaking soaker hose : blood was leaking from aortic walls . Surgery couldn ’ t wait until the next morning ; it had to happen that afternoon or Mr . Wilhite might die .
“ Aortic dissection not only threatens rupture and possible death due to blood loss but also threatens shearing off important vessels to important structures such as the brain , heart , spinal cord , gut , kidneys and extremities . This results in loss of the organ ,” says Dr . Knight . “ So the purpose of the aortic surgery is not only to prevent bleeding but also to prevent stroke , heart attack , paralysis , bowel infarction , kidney failure and amputation .”
“ I was so relieved that they were going to take care of me right away . I was in so much pain ," says Mr . Wilhite . “ The
What Is Aortic Dissection ?
The American Heart Association describes an aortic dissection as a splitting open of the inner layer of the aorta — the artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body . It is likely to occur where pressure on the artery wall from blood flow is too high . Aortic dissection strikes an estimated 10,000 Americans a year and is usually linked to high blood pressure and genetic disorders . It is often hard to diagnose . Actor John Ritter died in September 2003 from an undetected aortic dissection that doctors believed to be cardiac arrest . pressure from the dissection was pressing on my backbone and my throat . I totally trusted that the surgeons knew what they were doing .”
After his life-threatening event , Mr . Wilhite learned that he had a family history that may have contributed to his condition . “ My grandmother died from an aneurysm in her brain and my father had one in his chest .”
Now , several months after his surgery , Mr . Wilhite is working with his doctors at Scott & White to regulate his blood pressure so he can heal properly and return to all his favorite activities . Careful monitoring is an important part of a successful recovery . “ I can run the tractor again , take care of errands . Slowly but surely I am getting my energy back and am so happy to be alive .”
For more information about the Scott & White Healthcare Executive Health Program , please visit executivehealth . sw . org or call 800-235-6733 . ■
Know your risk factors for aortic dissection . They include :
> Uncontrolled high blood pressure
> Hardening of the arteries > Traumatic injury > Connective tissue disorders > Methamphetamine use
> Family history of cardiovascular disease
Winter 09 THE CATALYST 25
L
ike the unexpected surprise of
winning the lottery, Mr.
Wilhite’s brush with death also
came as a shock. What started as sharp
back pain turned out to be a serious
aortic dissection, a splitting of the
wall of the aorta, the major artery that
carries blood from the heart to the
rest of the body. Aortic dissection is
frequently misdiagnosed and without
early intervention is often fatal.
Mr. Wilhite was 53 years old the day
he bought the winning ticket in 2002. He
later decided to retire and move to
Kingsland, TX, to be close to his son and
his family. “My son had just built me a
new house and I spent that memorable
Sunday cleaning things up. That evening
while sitting down, I felt like someone had
driven a knife into my back,” he says. Mr.
Wilhite endured a restless night in
excruciating pain. The next morning, he
asked his son to take him to the Scott &
White Executive Health Program in
Temple so he could be examined by his
primary care physician, David Havemann,
MD, medical director of Executive
Health, Section of Preventive Medicine at
Scott & White Healthcare; and associate
professor of internal medicine, Texas
A&M Health Science Center College
of Medicine.
“They were ready for me. Dr. Havemann
ordered a CT scan and right away they
figured out what was wrong. I remember
him telling my son that I had a lifethreatening emergency,” says Mr. Wilhite.
Because of Scott & White’s
coordinated approach, Mr. Wilhite was
put in the care of the right specialists
immediately. Cardiologist Gene Terry,
MD, chief, Section of Intensive Care
Cardiology, Scott & White Healthcare;
and professor of medicine, Texas A&M
Health Science Center College of
Medicine, and surgeon Wade Knight,
MD, clinic board of directors, Scott &
White Healthcare; and associate professor
of surgery, Texas A&M Health Science
Center College of Medicine, were brought
in to discuss the best course of treatment.
They compared Mr. Wilhite’s dissection to
a leaking soaker hose: blood was leaking
from aortic walls. Surgery couldn’t wait
until the next morning; it had to happen
that afternoon or Mr. Wilhite might die.
“Aortic dissection not only threatens
rupture and possible death due to blood
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