A Journey He Never Saw Coming

A Regular Checkup Led to Lifesaving Care for Sanford’s Chris Hill

It’s no secret that men don’t go to the doctor as often as women.

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women are 33% more likely to visit the doctor than men, and women are significantly better at undergoing screening and preventive care.

There are plenty of reasons for the alarming gap, including fear over what a doctor's visit might reveal.

Sanford’s Chris Hill understands all of that, describing himself as “not much of a doctor person.”

A Surprising Wake-Up Call

Despite that, the 63-year-old has visited his primary care physician consistently over the last several years to keep an eye on his health. His most recent visit, in late 2023, led him on a journey he never saw coming – one that included quadruple bypass surgery and a brief stay at FirstHealth Reid Heart Center.

“Last year I went and, during my checkup with Dr. Michael Patterson, my pulse was low. It was in the 40s,” Hill said. After a referral, Hill ended up in the office of Dr. Mahmoud Atieh, a cardiologist with FirstHealth and Pinehurst Medical Clinic.

“I went through the whole series of diagnostic tests. I did a stress test, wore a heart monitor and underwent an ultrasound,” he said. “They showed that I did have some blockages, and I thought maybe I might end up getting a couple of stents. Once I had a CAT scan, things changed quickly.”

A Fortunate Finding

Hill ended up having significant blockages in four arteries, including a 100% blockage of his left anterior descending artery (LAD), otherwise known as the 'widow-maker artery.

“The coronary catheterization made it clear I was going to need bypass surgery, and I met Dr. Cliff Kitchens on the same day. He happened to be there at the time of my catheterization, so we talked. That was a Thursday afternoon, and Dr. Kitchens did my surgery the following Monday,” Hill said.

Dr. Kitchens explained the blockage of Hill’s LAD artery was of particular concern. "Chris had multivessel disease, and we did four bypass grafts. The ‘widow maker’ is a stenosis, or narrowing, of the artery that could suddenly close off if the plaque ruptures and forms thrombus within the diseased lumen,” Kitchens said. “A chronically occluded proximal LAD usually has formed collaterals that minimize a sudden heart attack but still cause ischemia to the heart that can be improved with revascularization, which was Chris’ case.”

Life Lessons

Thinking back on how quickly his life changed on that Thursday, Hill is fast to point back to his initial meeting with his primary care provider.

“Much of my story comes back to the idea of how important it is to see your primary care provider. I didn’t have any symptoms. I’m a healthy eater. I don’t smoke, drink or have any weight issues,” he said.

“One thing that I had minimized during my life was family history. My dad and grandfather both died of heart attacks. I discounted that during my life, but now I feel differently. I’m thankful they were able to discover my issues and get them corrected, because I was on my way to a major heart attack, and the outcome would not have been good.”

Kitchens agreed, saying it was crucial that Hill had an ongoing relationship with his primary care provider.

“Preventive medicine with primary care not only delays the onset of major acquired diseases like coronary artery disease but also allows for timely intervention and close follow-up,” he said. “This can lead to an elective trip to the operating room when the time comes, along with a smoother recovery, rather than someone who is coming to an emergency room in an urgent situation.”

After his surgery, Hill spent a couple of days in Reid Heart Center before returning to Sanford to continue recovering.

“The experience at Reid was incredible. I have told folks that if they ever have any heart issues or need a heart procedure, they need to come to Pinehurst,” he said. “I went home a couple days after the surgery, and I feel great.”

The experience also led to some important conversations with friends and his four children.

“The hereditary part of this was the leading factor for me, and this event – as shocking as it was – has allowed me to have more conversations with my children about guarding their own heart health and being proactive as they age,” he said. “I’ve even had friends who got their hearts checked because of what happened to me.”

Heart Care at FirstHealth

At FirstHealth Reid Heart Center, and in our clinics throughout the region, that means each patient receives personalized care from the area’s most skilled cardiologists, surgeons, nurses, techs and support personnel. In our state-of-the-art Reid Heart Center on the campus of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, patients have access to leading-edge technology, treatment options and services usually reserved for university-based centers in large cities.