This happened at the end of July. G. Ramanauskas was working in his office that day, and although the work environment is described as stressful, at first it was no different from many other days. The strong sensation in his chest did not go away, so the 57-year-old medic suspected that his heart might be malfunctioning.
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“I thought this was something serious. So I didn’t wait and went straight to our hospital’s intensive care unit. Luckily, I was still able to walk myself,” the interviewee smiles.
G. Ramanauskas emphasizes that he was fortunate to be at a medical facility at the time. Under other circumstances, if experiencing strong or persistent chest pain, one should not go to the hospital alone – it is necessary to call the emergency number 112 and request an ambulance.
Immediately transported to Kaunas Clinics
In the intensive care unit of Jonava Hospital, the medic received urgent care and was given blood-thinning medications. These prevent the clot from continuing to form or new ones from developing.
G. Ramanauskas was urgently transported to Kaunas Clinics – a specialized center where coronary artery interventions are performed.
“I bow to all the doctors who were already waiting for me. I was immediately taken to the interventional cardiology operating room. A blockage was found in a heart blood vessel, fortunately, it was possible to open it and place stents,” he recounts.
I thought, ‘My God, what is happening?’
The head of Jonava Hospital was treated in intensive care for a while, then transferred to the cardiology department. G. Ramanauskas does not hide that he was first shocked by the fact that his health deteriorated without any prior warning.
“The element of surprise was definitely there. I thought: My God, what is happening? I am 57 years old, I exercise, don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol, so I did not expect such a thing,” he admits.
Suspects long-term stress contributed
The medic does not specify a single cause of the heart attack. However, according to him, constant stress and a heavy workload could have played a role: “Of course, everything added up, but I mostly suspect stress. I really have a lot of it at work – I have many duties, responsibilities, and various problems that need to be solved.”
The healthcare situation in the regions also causes considerable stress. G. Ramanauskas says he has repeatedly tried to draw the government’s attention to the fact that access to healthcare services cannot be assessed solely based on the situation in major cities.
“I want the government to turn its attention to the districts as well, because people live there too, and they need healthcare services. You cannot only look at whether everything is fine in Vilnius and Kaunas. There are many problems, but they need to be addressed comprehensively,” says G. Ramanauskas.
Chronic stress can be one of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, but in a specific case, a heart attack is usually caused by a combination of several circumstances. Therefore, the medic identifies long-term stress as his own suspected, not medically confirmed, cause.
Rehabilitation forced a pause
After hospital treatment, G. Ramanauskas was prescribed 18 days of rehabilitation in Palanga. The recovery program included physiotherapy, exercises, psychological support, and lifestyle training.
“Rehabilitation gave me time to reflect on everything. It’s easy to say ‘reduce stress,’ but you really have to start doing it. You have to wisely regulate your workload, review your diet, and not forget physical activity,” the interviewee lists.
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After a heart attack, it is also necessary to follow prescribed treatment and control risk factors for heart and vascular diseases.
“It is important to monitor cholesterol and other lipid levels in the blood. All these things need to be regulated; there are no other magical remedies. Maybe then it will be possible to avoid another heart attack,” he considers.
A heart attack does not always start the same way
G. Ramanauskas’s case showed that a person may not feel all the symptoms commonly associated with a heart attack. For him, the main signal was a sudden and strong tearing sensation in the chest.
Most often, a myocardial infarction manifests as pressure, tightness, heaviness, or pain in the center of the chest, behind the sternum. The pain may spread to one or both arms, shoulders, neck, lower jaw, or back. Shortness of breath, nausea, weakness, dizziness, or cold sweat may also occur. However, symptoms are not the same for everyone.
“It is important to pay attention to the nature of the pain. Pain caused by impaired heart circulation is usually not directly related to body position or a specific movement. If there is unusual pressure or aching in the heart area, especially if it does not go away, it can be a serious signal,” warns the doctor.
However, it is not possible to confirm or rule out a heart attack based on pain alone. If suspected, the most important thing is not to delay and call an ambulance.
Calls district hospitals an important part of the system
Specialized procedures such as coronary angiography, opening a blocked coronary artery, and stenting are performed in five Lithuanian myocardial infarction cluster centers. They operate in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and Panevėžys.
If I had been in the countryside, by the time the ambulance found me, I might have died three times already.
But not everyone lives near these cities. According to G. Ramanauskas, if it is not possible to reach a specialized center immediately, urgent care can be provided and the patient’s condition stabilized in the intensive care unit of a district hospital before further transfer.
“It’s good that it was decided to keep intensive care units in district hospitals. If I had been in the countryside, by the time the ambulance found me, I might have died three times already,” the doctor says half-jokingly, half-seriously.
The condition of a person who has had a heart attack can change rapidly: heart rhythm may be disturbed, blood pressure may drop, consciousness may fade, or resuscitation may be needed.
“Of course, it is best to take the patient immediately to a place where coronary angiography can be performed and the blocked vessel opened. But if that is not possible, it is necessary to provide first aid as quickly as possible and ensure the patient safely reaches a specialized center,” explains G. Ramanauskas.
On the fateful day, the intensive care unit was just a few steps away for him. Now the hospital director views this experience as a personal reminder that in the event of a heart attack, not only the specialized procedure but the entire chain of care leading up to it is important.
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