By Kyle LoJacono
Staff Writer
More than 8,000 patients have been to Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Heart Institute since it opened Jan. 9, 2006.
One of those thousands is Phyllis Krieger of New Tampa, who recently spent a week at the center because of congestive heart failure.
“It was the first time I’d been to a doctor in 25 years,” Krieger, 68, said. “As you can imagine it was very scary to go to a doctor after not seeing one for so long, but that fear went away fast because of how great all the people are at the Heart Institute. That goes from the doctors and nurses to the receptionists and janitors. It’s a class-A facility.”
Krieger’s condition stemmed from a disruption in the electrical system of her heart, which made it to beat abnormally fast. Her resting heart rate was 143 beats per minute, which caused the muscle to become weak. That is about twice as fast as a normal adult heart.
“The problem starts when part of the heart muscle isn’t beating exactly with the rest of it, so it gets off rhythm,” said Dr. Sunil Gupta of the Heart Institute. “A heart under that kind of stress can lead to cardiac arrest very easily. It’s good that she got to the hospital when she did.”
Gupta has worked with the hospital for 10 years and previously worked at University Community Hospital.
Krieger knew she had a problem while on a trip with her husband, Merrill, in Arizona.
“I knew something wasn’t right with me,” Krieger said. “I felt lethargic and rundown, so my husband finally got me to go to a doctor…I ended up going to the Heart Institute and I’m very glad I did.”
Krieger’s heart was pumping only 20 percent of the blood it contained back into her body according to Dr. Ketul Chauhan, who has been partnered with Gupta for the last eight months.
“A normal heart sends between 50 and 60 percent of the blood within it to the rest of the body, so her heart was having to beat about twice as fast for her to stay alive,” Chauhan said of Krieger. “Basically her heart was running a marathon every second of the day.”
The condition made Krieger exhausted doing everyday activities.
“My resting heart rate was so fast that I got winded just standing up and walking around,” Krieger said. “They had to get my heart rate down and working better.”
The part of Krieger’s heart that was off rhythm had to be destroyed with a procedure called cardiac ablation. Once the defective part of the heart was shut down the rest of it could beat normally.
“She’s very lucky she got treatment when she did because it is a very serious problem,” Gupta said. “She is on medication now to strengthen her heart and she should recover fully.”
Krieger’s heart is currently working at about 40 percent as efficient as a normal heart and she has been cleared to start physical activity.
“They told me I can do whatever activity I’m comfortable doing, so I’ll be getting to the local YMCA as much as I can,” Krieger said.
Krieger, who has lived in New Tampa for five years, could have gone to other facilities closer to her home, but she decided to make the 35-minute trip to Zephyrhills instead.
“I knew it was the place for me as soon as I walked in the door because the atmosphere is just great,” Krieger said. “Not only did they get rid of all my fears from the moment I came in, but they found the problem fast.”
The Heart Institute has had 8,299 patients since it opened, including 2,487 in 2009, according to hospital spokeswoman Lyn Acer. The number of patients has increased each year since the facility opened.
“As the community grows we expect to grow with it,” said Gwen Alonso, director of the Heart Institute.
Alonso has lived in Wesley Chapel for 11 years and has worked with the hospital for more than six. She said the hospital has had more than 600 open-heart surgery patients since the institute opened.
“We offer basically everything for adults with heart problems here at the Heart Institute except heart transplants,” Alonso said.
The institute has already received numerous awards for its patient care. The latest came in January when it received the 2010 HealthGrade Excellence Award for Coronary Intervention.
“Coronary intervention means fixing a blockage or something like that,” Alonso said. “The award is given because the outcomes were excellent for the patients after receiving coronary intervention. We are the only hospital in the Tampa Bay area to receive the award this year.”
The institute also has three certified electrophysiologists, more than any other facility in Florida.
“There are only 10 in the state and we have three working here,” Alonso said. “We are the only facility with a fully-certified electrophysiology team in the state. What that team does is fix electrical problems in the heart.
“I’m just so proud of how the Heart Institute has progressed in a short time,” Alonso said. “Cardiac care is a passion of mine and I love helping the hearts of our patients.”
The facilities, doctors and policies have created a reputation in Pasco and north Hillsborough counties.
“The Heart Institute is fabulous,” Krieger said. “I want everyone to know the place is just outstanding and I would recommend it to anyone.”
For more information on Florida Hospital Zephyrhills or its Heart Institute, visit www.fhzeph.org or call (813) 788-0411.
About the Heart Institute
- Opened Jan. 9, 2006
- 8,299 patients treated
- More than 600 open-heart surgeries performed
- (813) 788-0411
- www.fhzeph.org
