Trusted Heart Team Saves Two Dads Through Open-Heart Surgery

For years, Kevin Christensen and Chuck Duggan did dad things – they worked hard, stayed active and cared for their kids.

It wasn’t until recently that their daughters, Brianna Christensen and Cali Solsma – both members of UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital’s heart program – had the opportunity to pay them back in life-saving ways. 

That’s where the stories begin to diverge.

Trusted Heart Care

Chuck, the father of Cali, a clinic supervisor in cardiothoracic surgery, underwent an angiogram in Dubuque and learned one artery was 100% blocked and three others were more than 90% blocked. He needed open-heart surgery – and soon.

When Cali heard the news, she insisted her father come to Waterloo and see Dr. Bhavik Patel, cardiothoracic surgeon at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital.

“For my family, there was no other option than to come to Allen Hospital. They know if it's my home, it's their home too,” Cali said. “My full trust was, and is, in Dr. Patel. I see the outcomes he has on a daily basis, and I didn't want anyone else operating on my dad. I also see how his teams work every day, from the ICU to the floor, and I had complete confidence in them."

Chuck is now medically in the clear, though he is still recovering. Open-heart surgery takes a toll on the body, and along the way, Chuck was reintubated once and experienced delirium, a temporary state of mental disorientation that can occur in hospitalized patients. Still, he was impressed with the care he received.

“Being a former nurse, I was pretty clear about everything that was happening and what to expect,” said Kate, Chuck’s wife. “But the night things went south, and he had to be reintubated was really scary. But Dr. Patel and Dr. Bill Curtis were tremendous.”

“I Had Probably Two Weeks”

Kevin, meanwhile, is the father of Brianna, a physician assistant who works under Dr. Patel in cardiothoracic surgery. Kevin’s path to Waterloo was very different from Chuck’s but just as dangerous.

For at least a year, Kevin had been experiencing stabbing pain when he exerted himself and had grown increasingly short of breath. One weekend, when the Ankeny couple was visiting their son at the University of Northern Iowa, Brianna had seen enough of the symptoms and asked her father to been seen immediately.

Although Kevin casually walked into the emergency room, the family soon learned one of his arteries was almost completely blocked. He underwent open-heart surgery with Dr. Patel the next day.

“I was talking with the cardiologist later, and he told me I had probably two weeks,” Kevin recalled. “Two weeks…and that might have been generous.” “I trusted our cardiologists to listen to my dad’s story and symptoms, and I knew they would take it seriously,” said Brianna.

“I also knew that if he needed open-heart surgery, I wanted Dr. Patel to do it. Having seen him in and out of the OR, I knew he was an excellent surgeon. I’m familiar with our nursing staff and felt at ease with them being the ones to care for him.”

Kevin’s surgery took place five months ago, and his recovery is now nearly complete. It wasn’t without a hiccup, though, as he experienced some respiratory issues following surgery.

“I can honestly say my dad received phenomenal care,” Brianna said. “I’m sure it was challenging to separate me as a provider in that instance, but the nurses did a great job. I have a new appreciation for the team we have here – from the ambulatory staff and OR team to the perfusionists, ICU intensivists and floor nurses.

“And, of course, I’m incredibly grateful to my clinic nurses, Hailey Robertson, ARNP, and Dr. Patel for taking care of my father. It was hard to be on the other side and not have full control, but they made it so much easier.”

Exceptional Heart Care at Allen Hospital

Both Chuck and Kevin underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a procedure in which the surgeon grafts around narrowed or blocked arteries, bypassing them to improve blood flow to the heart.

“It was fantastic,” Chuck said. His family remembers the conversations and support they received from team members including Brett, Aislynn, Victoria, Molly, Mya and Nina, among others. “I would think it was special treatment, but even the people who didn’t know I was Cali’s dad were excellent.”

“My care was fantastic, too,” Kevin said. “Even though we live in Ankeny, I still drive up here for my cardio and continue to see Dr. Himanshu Tandon because I felt the care was so good. It’s worth the two-hour drive.” The Christensens were especially fond of intensivist Dr. Karl Terwilliger, who oversaw Kevin’s care in the ICU during his first few days. They also enjoyed the hospitality rooms available to families.

“Everything was great,” said Juli, Kevin’s wife. “We tell everyone to come to Waterloo.”