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From heart failure to life-saving advanced, innovative procedure

Written By: Wendy Cederberg, UT Physicians | Updated: September 27, 2018
Cory-Welch

Cory Welch is thankful for the life saving care provided by Viacheslav Bobovnikov, M.D.

Cory Welch appreciates his second chance at life.

“I look at life differently now,” he says, “and I am reminded it is a tremendous gift.”

From the beginning

At age 41, Cory’s symptoms began July 4 when his legs and feet started swelling and he was short of breath. He knew something was wrong so he made an appointment with Mark Farnie, M.D., UT Physicians internal medicine specialist and professor at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

After an echocardiogram, Cory was shocked to learn he was in congestive heart failure, with his heart functioning at less than 20 percent.

Within days of his diagnosis, he met with Viacheslav Bobovnikov, M.D., a UT Physicians cardiothoracic surgeon, and the news was more alarming. “All of the main arteries to my heart had 95 percent blockage and I was told I would die soon if I didn’t have bypass surgery.”

State-of-the-art training found at UT Physicians

“When I saw the results of his studies,” says Dr. Bobovnikov, assistant professor at McGovern Medical School, “I knew his condition was very serious and we couldn’t wait any longer. Cory is very young to be dealing with this life-threatening condition and our best solution was coronary artery bypass surgery with total arterial revascularization of the diseased arteries.”

Dr. Bobovnikov is one of a few cardiac surgeons in the U.S. who can perform this specialized surgery and he was trained in Israel by one of the pioneers of this surgical technique. “Studies prove that total arterial revascularization provides a more superior outcome for patients, compared with conventional bypass surgery,” he explains.

In patients like Cory, with multiple vessel coronary artery disease at a young age, total arterial revascularization is the best solution to restore the flow of blood to the heart, while providing longer lasting grafts, rather than using only the saphenous vein grafts. The total arterial revascularization means usage of both internal thoracic arteries and the radial artery as conduits.

There are many long-term benefits to these arterial grafts, such as their strength and ability to improve long-term survival and quality of life

Life-saving journey

After Cory’s diagnosis of heart failure, he learned his heart was enlarged because the heart muscle was working so hard, it became bigger.

The American Heart Association estimates nearly six million Americans have heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart is unable to efficiently pump blood. Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working; it means the pumping power is weaker than normal.

The first night Cory came home from receiving the frightening news of his diagnosis, he did not feel good. “My chest felt like it was going to explode with horrible pain. I knew I needed to go to the hospital and the closest one was Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital.” Thankfully, Cory was proactive and paid attention to his symptoms.

Within hours he was transferred to Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center where he had more tests, including a heart catheterization.

“Cory was an excellent candidate for total arterial revascularization,” says Dr. Bobovnikov. “He had faith and he was ready for the surgery because he knew there were no other options.”

The surgery was successful and Cory spent 11 days in the hospital. “My wife, Kayla, and I were both emotionally drained trying to process how quickly our world changed. But we were committed to make sure our home life was as stable as possible for our two sons, age 10 and 12.”

Heart disease runs in Cory’s family and he knows heart attacks are a silent killer. He encourages others to take care of themselves:

  • Eat healthy and exercise
  • Stay calm and avoid stress
  • Don’t let the world get you down

“I know I have been guilty of putting everyone else first and now I need to learn to put myself first and better manage stress,” he admits. “I think my body was falling apart for a while and I didn’t slow down long enough to recognize the symptoms.”

Looking back, Cory thinks Hurricane Harvey may have triggered extreme stress. “We were stranded in our house for a week, like so many families, worrying about flood waters creeping closer to our house. It took a year for the signs of stress to take a toll.”

Grateful in recovery

In recovery now, Cory feels much better than he did in the past. “I gain more strength every day and enjoy walking my neighborhood as part of my rehab.”

Cory credits the “amazing and compassionate” nurses at Memorial Hermann, and his other doctors with UT Physicians, including Konstantinos Charitakis, M.D., David McPherson, M.D., Hazim Safi, M.D., Nils P. Johnson, M.D., and Sriram Nathan, M.D. He also appreciates the guidance provided by Barbara J. Stoll, M.D., dean of the McGovern Medical School.

Cory is senior audio-visual specialist in conference operations at the McGovern Medical School where he is also grateful for the support of his co-workers.

“So many people contributed to my life-saving gift – family, friends, doctors, nurses, and co-workers,” he says.

“I am fighting hard every day to get better not just for myself and my family, but for everyone who helped me during this journey of care and recovery. They all made an investment in me. Now I follow all of the advice I give to others about the importance of taking care of ourselves.”

As the clinical practice of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, UT Physicians has locations across the Greater Houston area to serve the community. To schedule an appointment, call 888-4UT-DOCS.