February 3, 2025
From a routine appointment to a cardiac crisis
An irregular heartbeat revealed that Enrique Medina had a serious heart condition. Just 11 days later, he was fighting for his life at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center.
Enrique Medina (right), and his wife, Alma (left), had no idea how quickly their lives would change over the course of 2 weeks.
On August 28, 2023, Enrique Medina saw his primary care doctor for a routine appointment. During the physical exam, his doctor noticed that Medina had a heart murmur and scheduled an ultrasound of his heart. The results were worrying: Medina had 2 blocked arteries and a faulty heart valve. Although Medina wasn’t experiencing any symptoms and was generally healthy, his doctor told Medina he would need to have surgery soon.
A series of life-threatening events
Medina started getting the necessary tests completed before his upcoming heart surgery. But just 7 days after his appointment, Medina started experiencing concerning symptoms. He was having trouble breathing, and although he tried to ignore it, his symptoms got worse: “I felt like I was drowning,” said Medina, whose wife, Alma, rushed him to Kaiser Permanente Ontario Medical Center. In the emergency department, Medina was placed on a breathing machine before being moved to Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center.
On September 7, just over a week after Medina’s primary care visit, he underwent a high-risk surgery to replace his faulty heart valve and bypass the blockages in 2 arteries. Tikva Krindle, RN, happened to be walking by the intensive care unit when she noticed Medina was showing some concerning signs. His blood pressure was falling, and he was bleeding through his chest tube.
“His number was going lower and lower, meaning he was losing his pulse and about to code,” said Krindle. “I immediately called our intensivist to come to his bedside as Enrique went into cardiac arrest.”
Medina was in cardiac arrest for almost 2 minutes. Fortunately, the team resuscitated him, and “he gave a thumbs-up as he was being rolled back into surgery,” said Krindle.
His heart was strong
Tikva Krindle (left) noticed Medina (right) was experiencing complications and immediately called for help.
Blood was entering Medina’s chest cavity and the lining of his heart, preventing his heart from pumping properly — complications that sometimes occur after open heart surgery. Thankfully, the emergency surgery successfully stopped the bleeding. Overjoyed, Alma Medina said: “I’ll never forget when the surgeon said that Enrique’s heart was strong. That made me feel good to hear.”
On September 12, just 5 days after his medical emergency, Medina was discharged to continue his recovery at home. His follow-up care includes physical therapy, lab work, and remote monitoring through Kaiser Permanente’s virtual cardiac rehabilitation program. Medina keeps a brisk walking routine 5 to 7 days a week. He credits his successful recovery to his medical team and his devoted wife.
For all that is you (and your heart)
Kaiser Permanente uses evidence-based treatment and comprehensive care and support to help promote heart health. Learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s cardiac care.
