Dealing with shoulder pain, Laurie Weigel was preparing to have surgery for a torn rotator cuff but prior to her procedure she needed surgery clearance to move forward. Laurie, a Minneapolis, MN native recently relocated to Las Vegas with her husband in 2019 and was ready to take care of a much needed surgery after getting settled. After meeting with her primary care doctor, who ordered an EKG and stress test, she was surprised to learn both were abnormal and she would need to have further testing. She was referred to a cardiology practice, Las Vegas Heart Associates for care.
Laurie was scheduled to see Jeffrey Levisman, MD FACC, FSCAI, board certified Interventional Cardiologist. Dr. Levisman, Chief of Cardiology and the Medical Director of Transcatheter Valve Replacement (TAVR) Program at MountainView Hospital, scheduled Laurie for an appointment quickly, and ordered a heart catheterization immediately at MountainView Hospital. The procedure took about 20 minutes, the blockage was found and a stent was placed. Immediately after, Laurie could tell the difference and was already feeling much better. She was sent home that day after being closely monitored and was pleased to hear she could recover and heal at home.
“I feel amazing, I feel lighter and can walk up stairs without huffing and puffing, the difference is night and day”, said Laurie. Laurie shared that her resting heart rate was 90 to almost 100 beats per minute after the procedure it is now around 60 beats per minute.
Although she must wait for her shoulder surgery for three to six months until she is cleared for cardiac approval, she couldn’t be happier, “Dr. Levisman was so proactive to get me in and scheduled to take care of the issue,” said Laurie. “His bedside manner is wonderful, he makes you feel comfortable and he really explains things so well, “said Laurie. Laurie was also very pleased she would be discharged the same day to heal at home.
For her procedure, Dr. Levisman utilized a radial approach versus a femoral approach which results in a faster recovery. “There are two main peripheral arteries used for heart catheterizations; radial access simply means the catheter or long, thin tube is inserted through the wrist versus a femoral approach where the catheter is inserted in the groin,” said Dr. Levisman. “The radial approach, is typically more comfortable for patients,” said Dr. Levisman. “Due to the location, the procedure results in less complications following including less bleeding and patients are more mobile and can sit, walk and eat more quickly which typically results in a shorter hospital stay,” said Dr. Levisman.
For her follow-up appointment, Laurie was able to utilize a virtual visit using telehealth. Laurie said, “It was wonderful, it was so nice to see Dr. Levisman in real-time on my phone.” “The appointment was very efficient, everything was on time and it was nice to have a convenient option.”
Dr. Jeffrey Levisman is accepting new patients for in-clinic visits as well as telehealth appointments.