BALTIMORE — 90-year-old Dale S. will soon be back on the golf course, playing ball with his grandchildren and polka dancing after undergoing a groundbreaking heart procedure at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital.
The procedure marked a milestone for the hospital. Dale underwent its first coronary atherectomy, a specialized treatment used to remove hardened calcium from blocked arteries.
"It means something to me to try something different, you know?" he said. "I guess everybody's looking at me to be the guinea pig and try everything."
90-year-old patient becomes first to undergo new heart procedure at Ascension Saint Agnes
The procedure represented another chapter in a decades-long battle with heart issues.
"I never wanted to go to the doctor," Dale said. "Everyone used to yell at me, 'Dale, you gotta go to the doctor.' 'No, I don't want to go.' Then I had a heart attack and knew I had no choice."
Dale suffered a heart attack in 2004 and underwent quadruple bypass surgery shortly afterward. In 2012, he returned for another operation, a triple bypass.
Now, at 90 years old, the Army veteran remains active with his 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. But to keep up with them, he needs knee surgery. Doctors first needed to check his heart health.
That's when they discovered a major problem.
"And we found a blockage of his main artery that was about 90%," said Dr. Matthew Voss, Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Ascension Saint Agnes.
A third open-heart bypass surgery was not considered a viable option because of Dale's age and medical history.
"He was left with no reasonable options, so I thought this was a great opportunity for us to help him, and Saint Agnes was a perfect place to do it," Dr. Voss said.
Patients previously would have needed to be transferred to another hospital for the treatment. So Dr. Voss made it possible by bringing the technology to Saint Agnes, allowing more patients to receive advanced cardiac care closer to home.
The procedure uses specialized technology, a tiny tool that goes in to break up and remove hardened plaque from arteries, restoring blood flow to the heart.
"Got him set up and got him fixed very nicely," said Dr. Voss.
Something that means a lot, considering Dale's family history.
"My dad had a heart attack; he lived to 73," Dale said. "I had a brother who had a heart attack at 49, but he died at 85. We've got heart problems in the family."
Now, Dale is helping pave the way for future patients who may benefit from the same treatment.
Hospital leaders say the successful procedure reflects their commitment to expanding advanced cardiac care options.
"In the future, I'm sure we'll have more technology that we hope to bring to Saint Agnes," Voss said. "It makes me really proud to be here and help people the way we do."
As for Dale, he's focused on moving forward, spending time with family, and getting back to the activities that have kept him young at heart.
