Rich Bugay endured excruciating pain and trouble breathing for years. The father of three consumed cough pills almost continuously to relieve the burning sensation in his mouth. He had a hard time even getting his legs up to walk, and he was always fatigued from the tremendous exhaustion.
The first few visits to the doctor yielded few answers. Physicians believed that his problems were related to his digestive tract, so they had a colonoscopy, which, according to him, “ruled a lot of stuff out,” but produced no new information.
A few medical professionals believed he might have GERD, or chronic acid reflux disease. Bugay attempted a lot of different remedies for the illness. Nothing alleviated his discomfort.
Bugay contacted a friend to set up an appointment for him at the Mayo Clinic because he was frustrated that he was not getting any answers. With the intention of staying for just a few hours, he and his spouse drove from Escanaba, Michigan, for an appointment with gastrointestinal expert Dr. Houssam Halawi.
Halawi started a standard GI workup, but since he thought Bugay’s symptoms might indicate a more serious problem, he also listened to his heart.
Halawi noted a “very suspicious” cardiac murmur during his examination. In order for Bugay to have an echocardiography the following morning, he and his wife made the decision to spend the night.
A hazardous surprise discovered during the cardio check was a seven-centimeter aortic aneurysm that might burst at any time.
An aortic aneurysm: what is it?
An aortic aneurysm, sometimes referred to as an inflated aorta, is a protrusion in the body’s major artery. According to the American Heart Association, they often do not create issues and grow slowly, but a rupture or burst is usually fatal.
According to Dr. Gabor Bagameri, a cardiovascular surgeon, the aneurysm measured 6.6 cm. Aneurysms that measure five centimeters or larger are usually treated surgically.
Additionally, the echocardiogram revealed that Bugay had bicuspid aortic valve syndrome, a congenital cardiac condition in which a person has just two tissue flaps, as opposed to the normal three, to ensure proper blood flow.
Other issues including decreased heart blood flow may result from the syndrome. Aortic valve regurgitation, a condition where blood flows backward into the body, was what Bugay was feeling.
Dr. Charles Jain, a cardiologist who reviewed Buday’s echocardiography and participated in his care, indicated that a congenital condition was probably the source of several of his complaints, including exhaustion.
Many aortic aneurysms are asymptomatic until they rupture, therefore some symptoms, including burning mouth, probably had other causes.
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A sort of “new lease on life”
After the aortic aneurysm was detected, Bugay’s heart valve needed to be repaired and the aneurysm had to be removed during open heart surgery.
According to Bagameri, the intricate procedure took many hours. An artificial aortic valve was installed after the aneurysm was resected. Shortly after the surgery, Bugay was released from the Mayo Clinic and had a “relatively smooth” recovery, according to Jain.
After a year, Bugay claimed to have a “new lease on life” and to feel “a hundred times better” than he had previously.
He reported that everything went smoothly with his six- and twelve-month checkups at the Mayo Clinic and that he had made “small lifestyle changes” as well. He expressed his gratitude for the additional testing that detected the fatal condition every day.
“If they had just run a few tests and sent me on my way, I might not be here,” Bugay said.
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