A grandfather of seven is lucky to be alive after a rare heart event.
Edward suffered an aortic dissection, a rupture of the aorta, which is the main artery carrying blood away from the heart muscle to the rest of the body.
According to the National Institutes of Health, every year, close to 10,000 people in the U.S. suffer from an aortic dissection.
Prochaska volunteers at his family's bakery in Fate, Texas, where he spends his time washing dishes, watching his grandchildren and dressing up as Santa Claus at Christmas.
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Prochaska’s lower back pain was so intense, he couldn’t fall asleep. He told his wife, Stella, that they needed to go to the emergency department at Texas Health Rockwall. Prochaska said he had a violent coughing attack that led to severe back pain.
"It was a pain like I've never experienced before and it would not go away. I tried to shake it off," said Prochaska.
The pain was so bad he asked his wife to take him to the emergency department at Texas Health Rockwall and that's where doctors discovered the aortic dissection.
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Receiving an immediate diagnosis and emergency care are key factors for survival.
“Sometimes an aortic dissection can lead to an aortic rupture and negatively affect other parts of the body,” said Dr. Justin Collier, a cardiothoracic surgeon on the Texas Health Dallas medical staff and a member of Texas Health Heart and Lung Surgical Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice.
According to the Texas Health System, Collier and other physicians on the Texas Health Dallas medical staff determined a thoracic branch endograft was the best approach for Prochaska’s aortic dissection.
Collier guided a small, pliable catheter to Prochaska’s heart through a small incision in his upper thigh, then inserted several stents and repaired the dissected aorta.
The procedure allows for the avoidance of open heart surgery.
After a quick recovery, Prochaska was back at his family bakery.
He credits not ignoring his symptoms, his doctor and prayers for his survival.
"What God was able to do through these ladies and these gentlemen at the hospital, it's why I'm here, and it's a blessing to me," said Prochaska.
The most important risk factor is increased blood pressure as this result in greater stress against the aortic wall.
