"I was in the worst pain of my life, but the doctors and nursing staff were fantastic — they saved my life," said Hohauser. "My nurse from the cath lab checked on me throughout my hospital stay, and made sure I had the instructions and support I needed to continue to recover in the Keys when I was discharged two days after my heart attack."
Todd Hohauser was enjoying a houseboat rental during a visit to the Keys from Michigan when he began experiencing chest pains. As his symptoms worsened, his wife called 911 and he was transported to Lower Keys Medical Center.
Hohauser was taken to LKMC's cardiac catheterization lab and was diagnosed with an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — a type of heart attack that is often life-threatening. Hohauser had 90% blockage in the lower artery (LAD) and had a stent placed by interventional cardiologist Dr. Leandro Perez.
"I was in the worst pain of my life, but the doctors and nursing staff were fantastic — they saved my life," said Hohauser. "My nurse from the cath lab checked on me throughout my hospital stay, and made sure I had the instructions and support I needed to continue to recover in the Keys when I was discharged two days after my heart attack."
Hohauser is an avid outdoorsman and maintains an active lifestyle — he had just finished a 10-mile bike ride when he began having symptoms. Before leaving Key West, and back home in Michigan, he followed doctor's orders to ramp up his activity slowly, and he took time to reach out to friends and family.
"I called some people just to tell them I loved them," said Hohauser. "It was a very emotional situation."
A STEMI requires treatment within 90 minutes of arrival to the ED to minimize damage to the heart muscle and in some cases to save the patient's life. Lower Keys Medical Center began offering 24/7 coverage for heart attack patients in 2024 following a renovation of its cardiac catheterization lab and the addition of three interventional cardiologists.
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