Patients thank doctors for using life-saving technology for heart problems

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - “Almost like I was dying end up having to go to the emergency room night because I couldn’t breathe, and I couldn’t walk,” Kris Kirkman said, describing how he felt going to the hospital when he found out he had congestive heart failure.

“Well, that night we were in the emergency room I think for 8 hours, and we’ve been moved from room to room, to hallway to the hallway and one of the doctors came up to us and he started rambling off a bunch of stuff and he said, you have congestive heart failure. And I think we were just both in shock and didn’t really understand the severity of it,” Kirkman said.

Thanks to doctors from the Cardiovascular Institute of the South, Baton Rouge General, and a small heart pump called an Impella CP; Kirkman was able to return home to his wife and three kids the day after surgery.

“For people who have multiple blockages and low heart function, this kind of procedure can help them to have improved their functional capacity, improved their exercise capacity, and improve the heart function,” said Dr. Niksad Abraham.

Abraham said this technology is giving people more options when they come into the hospital with heart problems.

“We can do much more advanced procedures that once were thought not so possible, so we have many more options, so I want everybody to know that people want to realize that if your doctors said there’s nothing much you can do, you can get a second opinion,” Abraham said.

Thursday, patients got to formally thank the doctors who saved their lives and learn more about the technology that doctors use.

“Dr. Abraham saved my life, he really did. I know I wouldn’t be here today. By getting in touch with him, he was able to save my life and I owe him that for the rest of my life.”

Click here to report a typo.

Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved.