Meet Scott
Scott Herbert remembers the day well. It was May 2011, warm and sunny, when the then-34-year-old came home from the gym and sat down to lunch with his wife. He decided to continue his day of activity with some afternoon yard work.
“I was cutting hedges, and I started getting severe pain at the top of my sternum,” Scott recalls. “I had no idea what it was, certainly not something I had ever felt before.”
Thinking the cause might be related to asthma or allergies, Scott went inside and took two teaspoons of an antihistamine, but the pain didn’t go away. He sat down on his couch and his wife, a nurse, used a stethoscope to listen to his chest.
“She heard an unusual swishing noise and realized we needed to get to an emergency department ASAP,” Scott explains.
The Path to UPMC
Scott was taken to UPMC Shadyside, where he initially received nitroglycerin in an attempt to treat the chest pain. He then got a CT scan, which revealed the source of the pain – an acute aortic dissection.
Aortic dissection refers to a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the major artery carrying blood from the heart. Blood surges through the tear into and along the walls of the aorta, causing the inner and middle layers to separate, or dissect.
“This was a medical emergency,” Scott says. “And I needed open heart surgery right away.”
A New Diagnosis and Another Surgery
The procedure to repair Scott’s aortic dissection was successful, and he was able to return home and begin the recovery process. Over the next several years, Scott continued to follow up with the UPMC Center for Aortic Disease, undergoing regular surveillance with CT scans and echocardiograms to monitor his heart health, but for the most part, life was back to normal.
That changed in November 2023 when a family member was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome – a rare genetic disorder affecting connective tissue. It can cause life-threatening concerns with the aorta and heart valves. In January 2024, at Scott’s regular follow-up appointment with Ibrahim Sultan, MD, he was referred to Arvind Hoskoppal, MD, to be evaluated for Marfan syndrome.
“Because it’s genetic, I decided to get tested for Marfan as well,” Scott recalls. “And the results revealed my own diagnosis.”
Only a few months after receiving this news, Scott learned that his descending aorta was enlarged, having grown to a concerning measurement of six centimeters. He would again need complex aortic surgery.
On May 8, 2024, Dr. Sultan, cardiothoracic surgeon, Derek Serna-Gallegos, MD, and vascular surgeon, Michael Singh, MD, performed a complex, open surgical repair of Scott’s descending thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm at UPMC Presbyterian.
“Dr. Sultan is amazing,” Scott explains. “I knew I was in good hands and so happy with the care I received.”
“You Should Get Yourself Checked Out”
Scott says the Marfan diagnosis is always in the back of his mind, but he doesn’t let that prevent him from living life to its fullest. Now 48, he still does a lot of yard work but doesn’t lift too much weight and takes breaks if he gets tired. He’s eternally grateful for the break he took back in 2011.
“Heart disease is a silent killer,” Scott says. “I could have easily just taken a nap that day when I felt pain in my chest, and if I had, I might not be here today.”
And he has words of wisdom for anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation.
“Even if you feel something small, you should get yourself checked out. Your body is telling you something. Don’t wait around. Timing is crucial.”
Scott’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
The UPMC Center for Aortic Disease offers an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to the management of complex aortic disease with an emphasis on screening, early diagnosis, and tailored care for patients with genetically-mediated aortic diseases. This Center of Excellence within the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute is home to nationally recognized experts and is among the most experienced in the world in the treatment of aortic disease, managing more than 1,500 aortic dissections over the past decade, with outstanding outcomes.