… that complete recoveries are achievable with support from the cardiac and rehab team at Summerlin Hospital.
— Bob Cannata
Bob Cannata keeps himself in good physical shape and never thought he would have a heart problem. At age 54, however, he noticed something might be wrong. It started with “really bad heartburn” after a hike, and the next day he began sweating profusely for no reason. He went to the doctor and found out he had a major blockage in his artery — “the one they call the widow maker,” he says. That’s not a technical term, explains Khalid Chaudhry, MD. “Generally, it’s a blockage where closure of the artery will cause certain death.”
The day after learning of his condition, Cannata underwent triple bypass surgery at Summerlin Hospital. He spent just under a week in the hospital, and then focused his positive attitude on getting stronger with support from the cardiac rehab program. Being physically fit before the surgery helped. “I feel good,” he says today. “I’m doing everything I want to do.”
For Cannata, listening to his body and being proactive likely saved his life. “Even though he was very healthy otherwise, he did not dismiss his symptoms,” Dr. Chaudhry notes. Cannata gets emotional when he talks about the nurses, doctors, cardio rehab staff and everyone at Summerlin Hospital. “I’m alive and I feel very fortunate, so thank you, Summerlin, from the bottom of my heart,” he says.
What is bypass surgery?
If there is a blockage in an artery that supplies blood to the heart, doctors may take a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body and connect it to the heart so that blood bypasses the blockage. The Heart Center at Summerlin Hospital offers a 28-bed Cardiovascular Care Unit with private rooms, where patients who need cardiovascular surgery or interventional cardiac procedures can receive advanced care.
Learn more about the Heart Center at Summerlin Hospital >