When Timothy Kashner suffered a massive heart attack last October, the prognosis for his survival was very poor.He arrived at Lancaster General Hospital and doctors determined the damage was too severe to repair his heart. But they had something else in mind to give Tim a second chance: a ventricular assist device, or VAD.
On Oct. 13, 2005, Tim became the first patient to receive the implant at Lancaster General. The surgery was a success and gave Tim the time he needed for a heart to be found for a transplant.
Today there’s little to suggest that this energetic 42-year-old Ephrata man was within moments of dying, or that he went through a heart transplant a few months ago.
The heart attack
Tim’s heart trouble began with a childhood case of rheumatic fever that left him susceptible to infections that weakened his heart. When he was 37, he suffered his first heart attack.
During his most recent incident, Tim was in a truck at work—fortunately not driving—when he felt an intense pain in his chest. “It felt like I was being crushed,” he said. Unable to dial his cell phone, he put his head down on the steering wheel and blasted his horn for help.
Soon after medics arrived, Tim lost consciousness. It was two days later when he awoke and first learned what doctors had done to save his life.
An ideal candidate
Tim was an ideal candidate for this surgery, and when he arrived at Lancaster General Hopital, it was his best chance for survival.
The surgeon explained the situation to Tim’s wife Lisa Ann and she made the decision to proceed with the surgery.
“I was glad she decided to keep me around,” Tim now says. “I still had a lot more living to do.”
Though this was the first VAD implant at Lancaster General, they were ready when Tim arrived, having prepared for it the previous year. Established protocols were in place so the team knew exactly what they needed to do to save Tim.
The Heart Failure Program
Lancaster General started a heart failure program about five years ago, and in July 2004 created the VAD program according to Susan Sample, MSN, CRNP, who serves as the VAD coordinator.
“Our goal is to treat more surgical patients at the local level so they don’t need to be transported a long distance for high-risk surgery,” Sample says. The heart failure team includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses who meet regularly and discuss the best possible treatments for patients.
The surgery takes 3-6 hours, depending upon whether a patient requires one device, usually on the left ventricle, or a bi-ventricular assist device, such as Tim needed.
“Two days later, Tim was sitting up, getting out of bed and eating lunch,” Sample says. Five days later he was fit enough to be transported to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where he stayed for 117 days until a donor heart match could be found.
Staying positive
During his stay at Penn, Tim was determined to rise to the challenge. He did more than was expected during his physical therapy, and stayed positive even when donor hearts passed him by.
“I had a second chance at life and I was going to do everything I could to make it work,” Tim says. “It was tough. But whatever my physical therapist told me to do, I’d double it.”
As if they weren’t dealing with enough the Kashner’s were in the process of buying a new home when Tim had his heart attack. So while he awaited a donor heart, his wife had to take care of the sale and moving.
On January 21, the day of the move, a donor heart was found and Tim received his transplant. Lisa Ann stayed at the hospital along with Tim’s parents, Carl and Darlene Stoner, and nephew Mikey Stoner.
“Our friends and family provided us with exceptional help on the day of the move,” Lisa says, including her parents, Norman and Joy Shank, her brother Tyrone Shank, and their friends Lorne Mowrer, Bill Seace, Todd Witmer and his nephew Dustin, Dave Trout, Missy Sweigart and her son Tyler, Michelle Franklin and Cinda Royer. “We just cannot thank them enough.”
The Kashner’s were also thankful for the fundraisers given by Lisa Ann’s co-workers at Cadmus in Ephrata, and all of the cards and prayers from friends, neighbors and family.
“I consider January 21st my second birthday,” Tim says. On February 7, he was healthy enough to come home. Tim also urges everyone to become an organ donor—which saved his life and will give others a second chance.
“My priorities have certainly changed,” he says. “Before my heart attack it was always work and money. But now I see things differently. I have a new opportunity to enjoy life; to settle things, to make things right.”