Having driven a tractor-trailer for 26 years, Vernon Witmer knows that no two days are the same. But December 16, 2004 will live in his memory as a day unlike any other. It was the day he had a heart attack.

A heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction (MI), is caused by near complete or complete closure of one or more of three major arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Vernon got up early for work and noticed a dull, continuous pain in his chest. As the morning went on, the pain intensified and he was having trouble lifting his left arm.

When he got back to the office, he described his pain to a supervisor who immediately called 911. “Evidently I didn’t look the best,” he says.

The ambulance quickly arrived and took Vernon to Lancaster General Hospital’s Emergency Department & Trauma Center. The quick thinking and organized approach of everyone involved helped Vernon go from the ambulance to the Catheterization Laboratory in just 21 minutes. Within 43 minutes of Vernon’s arrival at Lancaster General, the blockage causing his heart attack was identified and treatment was begun—this was far below the national benchmark of 90 minutes.

William Adams, MD, Medical Director of the Department of Emergency Medicine, says that the hospital has a system in place to get the patient the proper treatment as quickly as possible. They know that every minute saved can make a big difference. “Every member of our medical team has a very well-defined role and we’re always looking at ways we can improve the process to make it even better for our patients,” says Dr. Adams.

Frank Corbally, DO, Heart Specialists of Lancaster, was made aware of Vernon’s condition even before he arrived at Lancaster General. Dr. Corbally understood the seriousness of the situation, had the catheterization team put on standby and made arrangements to immediately accommodate Vernon.

“To preserve the pumping function of the heart, you need to restore blood flow to the heart as quickly as possible,” Dr. Corbally explains.

If a heart attack is diagnosed, as happened with Vernon, an overhead page in the hospital (Code R) alerts a special team to respond to the Emergency Department and then promptly transfer the patient to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

Besides 24-hour/7-day-per-week on-call coverage by cardiologists and cardiovascular technologists, the rapid identification and treatment of patients suffering an acute heart attack is supported by emergency department triage nurses and physicians, laboratory and radiology personnel as well as cardiothoracic surgeons and their support staff.

“Having a 24-hour coordinated team in place at LGH helps us treat heart attack patients rapidly and efficiently,” says Paul Casale, MD, Medical Director of Lancaster General Heart Center and member of The Heart Group. “We are one of only two hospitals in the county that has a team available 24/7 to treat patients having a heart attack with immediate balloon angioplasty and stent implantation.”

In the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory treatment for a heart attack begins with the insertion of a catheter into an artery in the patient’s leg or arm to determine if blockages are present. Doctors can then reopen the artery using balloon angioplasty followed by insertion of a stent to keep it open.

Dr. Corbally’s partner, Scott Riebel, MD, was the cardiologist who opened up the blockage in Vernon’s coronary artery.

Dr. Riebel reinforces that time is critical. “When the artery leading to the heart is closed, heart muscle dies within minutes. Substantial areas of the heart may be saved, however, by minimizing the damage with prompt treatment,” he says.

In Vernon’s case, that quick treatment made a world of difference. After several weeks of rest and cardiac rehabilitation, he’s now back to work and doing well. He’s also more aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and encourages others to pay attention to the signals their bodies send them.

Stephen Bell, MD, Cardiac Consultants, says the classic heart attack symptom of feeling an intense pressure in the chest occurs in only 50 percent of people. Instead they may feel symptoms such as breathlessness, nausea, dizziness, heavy sweating, severe indigestion or pain radiating to the arms, back, shoulders, teeth, jaw and even fingers. “Some people have what can best be described as an impending sense of doom,” Dr. Bell says. “They can’t describe exactly what’s not right, but they know that something is very wrong.” If you experience any of these symptoms, Dr. Bell suggests taking an aspirin immediately and seeking prompt medical attention.