Three aneurysms. One procedure.
He got a second opinion at Geisinger after being told he’d need three separate surgeries.
James Schintz, 64, of Emmaus has a history of heart disease. When he mentioned having to urinate frequently at night, his doctor ordered an ultrasound. It revealed a swelling in the lower part of the major vessel that delivers blood to Mr. Schintz’s body.
That swelling, called an abdominal aortic aneurysm, could cause life-threatening bleeding if it were to rupture — so finding out about it was lucky.
The tests also showed two more aneurysms in the walls of a group of arteries in Mr. Schintz’s pelvis. A specialist in Allentown recommended three separate stenting procedures, one for each aneurysm. Something he wanted to avoid, if possible.
A second opinion brings him to Geisinger for vascular surgery
Mr. Schintz decided the nearly 2-hour drive to Geisinger for a second opinion was worth it. And when Evan Ryer, MD, assured him that he could repair all three aneurysms at the same time, Mr. Schintz chose Geisinger.
“The more I spoke to the staff in Danville, the more comfortable I became with them being the folks I wanted to handle the situation,” he says.
The aneurysm surgery is complex. But, as Dr. Ryer points out, Geisinger routinely treats such tricky vascular cases safely and effectively.
“We see a lot of patients who are denied care elsewhere because they’re deemed too complex,” says Dr. Ryer.
Surgery was a success and he was back home the next day
Mr. Schintz was home the next day. He says he could have gone to Philadelphia or Cleveland for the surgeries, but he’s glad he came to Geisinger — especially since Dr. Ryer could do all the stenting procedures at one time.
“The whole operation from start to finish, I was impressed by it,” he says. “My wife was impressed by it, too. The guys at Geisinger were on top of what I was dealing with. There was such a comfort level. And I didn’t have to go to a major metropolitan area for top-notch care. It was here in my own backyard.”
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