Melanie McCauley Finally Gets Answer to Her Heart Condition: Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Melanie McCauley Finally Gets Answer to Her Heart Condition: Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Melanie McCauley’s chest pain landed her in the ER several times, yet tests showed nothing out of the ordinary and doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause. Now, thanks to an innovative new tool, MedStar Heart \u0026 Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center can provide answers to patients like Melanie: the culprit very likely could be coronary microvascular dysfunction or CMD. Learn more about CMD and how we’re treating this heart condition. Watch now via @nbcwashington.
Content
1.14 -> new help for people with a unique heart
3.54 -> condition that is incredibly difficult
5.4 -> to diagnose at a local hospital is among
7.799 -> the first in the country using a new
9.72 -> tool that can give patients and
11.58 -> Physicians some answers after suffering
14.04 -> with unexplained chest pain Doreen
16.32 -> Gensler is working for your health to
17.94 -> explain how it works Doreen hi there
20.22 -> Erica and Sean this new test only takes
22.619 -> a few minutes and it's added on to the
25.32 -> traditional cardiac catheterization and
27.3 -> x-ray that's always used to screen
29.58 -> someone with a heart condition this new
32.22 -> test worked for a Maryland woman who
34.32 -> says she was desperate for answers after
36.36 -> several trips to the ER she decided she
39.6 -> agreed to have the procedure done in a
42.36 -> live broadcast during a medical
44.04 -> conference that went out to doctors all
46.379 -> over the world
48.239 -> this is the moment that changed Melanie
51.059 -> McCauley's life but before we show you
53.579 -> what happened we have to explain how she
55.92 -> got here the 46 year old says she was
58.86 -> dealing with unexplained chest pain for
61.199 -> several days before things took a
63.539 -> dramatic turn during a family trip to
65.76 -> Williamsburg last November and I felt
68.1 -> this tightness in my chest some pain and
70.14 -> discomfort in my left arm and my
73.02 -> shoulder blade felt like someone had you
75.299 -> know stabbed me and was twisting the
77.159 -> knife around it was very intense her
79.14 -> husband was competing in a bowling
80.82 -> tournament when she started sweating and
82.979 -> felt nauseous and told him she needed to
85.08 -> get some air time on the air conditioner
87.18 -> and ran the car now this is November so
90.36 -> it's cold outside and I ended up texting
92.759 -> him and saying hey um I may be having a
95.4 -> heart attack turns out she was right but
98.28 -> emergency room doctors couldn't pinpoint
100.56 -> the cause they ran tests and took an
103.2 -> x-ray of her heart but found no
105 -> blockages in any of the main arteries so
107.759 -> I have these doctor is basically telling
109.68 -> me you had a mild heart attack and we
112.439 -> don't know why after three days in the
114.78 -> hospital Melanie went back to her home
116.82 -> in Fort Washington and was put on
118.799 -> medication but the pain didn't go away
121.799 -> and over the next several months she
124.14 -> ended up back in the ER several times
126.299 -> with similar symptoms each time the
129.179 -> doctors ran tests and each time they
131.28 -> assured her nothing was wrong I was
133.8 -> frustrated honestly and it got to a
135.84 -> point where I just started to question
137.22 -> myself like okay maybe it's not as bad
139.44 -> as I believe it is Melanie says it
141.66 -> wasn't until she met Dr Hader Hashim a
144.48 -> cardiologist at Medstar Washington
146.28 -> Hospital Center that she finally got
148.92 -> answers patients with coronary
150.54 -> microvascular dysfunctions are often
152.52 -> dismissed by their doctors as it's all
155.22 -> in their heads now we have the
158.04 -> diagnostic tool to actually unmask their
160.86 -> condition and give them the right
162.18 -> diagnosis coronary microvascular
165.239 -> dysfunction or CMD is when the heart's
169.08 -> smallest arteries don't dilate properly
171.72 -> and the heart doesn't get enough blood
173.36 -> left untreated it can lead to a heart
176.28 -> attack or a stroke or even death but
179.519 -> it's incredibly hard to diagnose because
181.739 -> these tiny arteries aren't visible on a
184.98 -> traditional x-ray with this new
187.14 -> technology you are able to measure the
189.48 -> exact flow and the exact resistance in
193.14 -> these small arteries without even
194.879 -> looking at them Dr Hashem says that
197.58 -> extra step is essentially a wire that
200.459 -> measures a patient's blood flow and
202.379 -> temperature the results determine
204.48 -> whether the heart's smallest arteries
206.64 -> are working properly MedStar Heart and
209.7 -> Vascular Institute is one of the only
211.44 -> programs in the country using this new
213.959 -> diagnostic tool called the coroventus
216.8 -> choroflow cardiovascular system Melanie
220.56 -> had the test done in February and agreed
222.959 -> to let Dr Hashim broadcast it live
225.599 -> during a conference to hundreds of
227.7 -> Cardiology colleges from all over the
229.379 -> country in real time she says it was
232.379 -> nerve-wracking but she was desperate for
234.959 -> answers and after months of pain and
237.9 -> uncertainty came this moment I heard him
240.84 -> say bingo so I was thinking okay this is
243 -> great he sees something he said it's not
245.519 -> all in your head he said you really have
248.04 -> coronary microvascular dysfunction he
250.319 -> said that explains everything so we're
252.78 -> going to get you treatment and you'll be
254.58 -> able to live your life you'll have your
256.199 -> quality of life back and he was
257.82 -> absolutely correct
260.06 -> what a relief to get an answer like that
262.68 -> Melanie McCauley is now taking
264.3 -> medication to treat her condition and
266.28 -> she says she's doing really well these
268.86 -> days four million people have CMD and it
272.4 -> tends to impact more women than men
274.38 -> those with diabetes high blood pressure
277.02 -> and high cholesterol and also smokers
279.12 -> face a higher risk but this is something
281.52 -> that can infect anyone and as for this
284.16 -> new screening tool Dr Hashem says it's
286.74 -> typically covered by insurance and
290.479 -> guys I think Washington Hospital Center
293.16 -> or Medstar Washington Hospital Center is
295.74 -> the only facility in the area that has
297.84 -> this this particular screening tool
300.24 -> right now but what a difference it can
302.04 -> make for a lot of people incredible
303.9 -> life-saving I mean I was writing down
306.419 -> the information I you know this is
308.16 -> pretty incredible Doreen thank you and
310.979 -> and amazing that it can be done at the
312.84 -> same time as the cardiac catheterization
314.759 -> that happens to everyone who comes into
316.8 -> the hospital with a possible heart
318.66 -> attack
319.86 -> hopefully it's going to save a lot of
322.02 -> lives and make a huge difference thank
323.699 -> you
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx9f7F7EfyE