Expertise and technology
Upon arrival at LVH–Pocono, an EKG confirmed Cadwalader’s heart attack. He was then moved to the state-of-the-art catheterization laboratory. “One of his coronary arteries was fully blocked,” Gupta says. “We were able to clear the blockage and install a stent to keep the artery open.”
During the percutaneous coronary intervention PCI), Gupta threaded a balloon-tipped catheter through a blood vessel to the blocked coronary artery. Inflating the balloon successfully compressed the plaque against the artery’s walls, allowing blood to flow. A mesh stent was placed and allows blood to flow through the artery.
Because he is a cancer survivor, Cadwalader’s doctors made sure to take his previous history into consideration during his treatment.
“There are a lot of things we can do as cardiologists to decrease a patient’s risk for developing a heart problem from cancer treatment,” says Deborah Sundlof, DO, cardiologist, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute.