Excellent Patient Care Improves Patients' Lives
This article originally appeared in Be Well, a health
information newsletter published for members of the Greater Marlborough
community.
The pain occurred suddenly while lifting weights following a treadmill
workout at a local fitness center. Marlborough resident Joseph Belmore, 66, who
had a previous history of cardiac disease, knew he was experiencing the early
signs of cardiovascular distress and that he needed to see his doctor quickly.
Mr. Belmore's cardiologist, Daniel Carlucci, MD, medical staff president at
Marlborough Hospital, ordered several, noninvasive cardiac diagnostic tests,
including nuclear stress testing and echocardiography, to be performed at
Marlborough Hospital. These important tests showed a blockage that was
preventing the full flow of blood to Mr. Belmore's heart.
Mr. Belmore soon underwent a diagnostic cardiac catheterization at the UMass
Memorial Medical Center state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab that was
followed by inserting a stent into one of his arteries. The procedure involved
placing a wire mesh stent over a balloon catheter, which was carefully threaded
to the site of the blockage. The balloon was then inflated to expand the stent
and secured in place to hold the artery open. The open stent improved blood flow
to the heart muscle and relieved Mr. Belmore's chest pain.
"Mr. Belmore did the right thing by not ignoring his chest pain. Once the
diagnostic tests indicated a blockage, we determined a cardiac catheterization
was the best course of action," said Dr. Carlucci. "Marlborough Hospital and
UMass Memorial Medical Center have a strong clinical partnership in
cardiovascular disease that allows patients to receive excellent care at their
local community hospital and highly specialized care, such as a cardiac
catheterization, at UMass Memorial."
Feeling stronger after his cardiac catheterization, Mr. Belmore enrolled in
the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Marlborough Hospital, a comprehensive
service designed to help both individuals recovering from recent heart problems
or those who are interested in controlling heart disease risk factors and in
improving overall health.
"Our goal is to help modify and control factors to reduce the risk of future
heart disease and sudden death," explained Michael Sawtelle, MS, MBA, director
of Cardiac Rehabilitation. "We created an individualized care plan for Mr.
Belmore to follow, including guidelines for exercise, weight loss, cholesterol
levels, arthritis management, blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac risk factor
control."
Participating in the hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is providing
the physical activity and knowledge to help Mr. Belmore prevent his condition
from worsening and to reduce the risk of future heart problems. "I have to thank
Dr. Carlucci and the rehab team for helping me to take better control of my
condition," he explained.
"If you stick with the program, you're likely to come out feeling much better
than before. It's certainly worked for me," added Dr. Carlucci: "We have an
excellent cardiac care program here at Marlborough Hospital. From a group of
experienced cardiologists to top notch emergency care and noninvasive diagnostic
testing to cardiac rehab and a clinical partnership with UMass Memorial, it's
all here for our patients and community."
Dr. Carlucci's office, Heart Center of Metrowest Marlborough, is located at
159 Union Street, Marlborough. The office telephone number is 508-624-9687. For
information on all the cardiologists affiliated with Marlborough Hospital, call
our Physician Referral Service at 508-481-6668.Marlborough Hospital offers a
comprehensive, four-phase Cardiac Rehabilitation Program that helps individuals
recover from recent heart problems or control their heart disease risk factors
by improving their overall health. For more information, call 508-486-5465.