Winning Senior Olympic Gold After Heart Surgery and Cardiac Rehab
Treatment TermsHeartCardiac prevention and cardiac rehabilitation
Overview
Dick Mazur of Raleigh was a fit 76-year-old planning to compete in the Senior Olympics for his third year in a row when his plans got waylaid. Diagnosed with a serious heart problem, he underwent heart surgery followed by cardiac rehab at Duke Health. Mazur went on to compete in the Senior Olympics after all, where he won three medals. “I owe it all to the rehab people,” he said.
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Dr. Rockman Makes a Game Plan, Assembles Heart Team
ContentIt started one morning when Mazur noticed his ankles were swollen. He suspected a heart problem and called his primary care office. There, his nurse practitioner detectedatrial fibrillation, or AFib, which means irregular heartbeats caused by abnormal electrical signals in the heart. She urged him to make an appointment atDuke Cardiology at Southpoint in nearby Durham.“He wasn’t doing well,” saidHoward A. Rockman, MD, a cardiologist and leader of Mazur’s heart team. “Two of his valves were leaking, and one artery was blocked.”Dr. Rockman referred Mazur to Duke heart surgeon Donald D. Glower Jr., MD, a pioneer in valve repair. Dr. Glower repaired two valves, removed a blockage, and wired Mazur for a pacemaker.“The doctors told me it was great that I was in such good shape,” said Mazur. “It helped me recover from the lengthy surgery.”
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Source: dukehealth.org: Duke Health News - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dg62 at duke.edu Source Type: news
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