Our Doctors Knew Her Heart Was Different

At age 40, Rosa Castaneda thought she was too young to have heart disease. So when her doctor in New Orleans dismissed the pain she felt in her chest, arms and jaw as anxiety, she went home and didn’t think much of it. That was in the early summer of 2005.

Two months later, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Castenada family fled to San Antonio, Tex., only to return and discover their home was flooded and without electricity. They packed up and headed to the Lehigh Valley to stay with relatives and ponder their future.

A few days later, Castaneda awoke to the same pains she experienced before – undoubtedly caused by stress, she thinks. Her niece thinks differently and rushes her to Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (LVHHN), where she saw cardiologist William Smolinski, D.O.

His diagnosis: a heart attack in progress. He knew that just because Castenada was a young woman, it didn't mean there weren't serious problems with her heart. LVHHN's commitment to understanding women's heart issues includes Heart Help for Women. This groundbreaking program educates women and their doctors about a woman's risk factors for and unique symptoms of heart disease. It encourages women to talk about their risk with their doctors.

To treat Castenada's heart, cardiologist Raymond Durkin, M.D., opened the artery causing the attack and inserted a stent to hold it open. He also detected four other blocked arteries that required emergency bypass surgery.

“The physical and emotional stress of leaving New Orleans and Rosa's extensive heart disease likely caused her heart attack,” says cardiothoracic surgeon Michael Szwerc, M.D., who performed the bypass.

A couple of days after surgery, Castaneda was back on her feet and feeling much better. “I have no doubt that Lehigh Valley Hospital saved her life,” says her niece, Cynthia Ordonez. “They found this problem when the other hospital did not.”

Castaneda vows to exercise and change her diet in hopes of avoiding further heart troubles. She and her family haven’t decided whether to return to New Orleans or relocate permanently to the Lehigh Valley. To help them through this difficult time, colleagues at LVHHN's Regional Heart Center “adopted” the Castaneda family for Christmas and collected money, clothing, food and presents for them. “They had been through so much, it was the least we could do,” says heart-care nurse Cindy Orlando, R.N.

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