A doctor’s heart: Saved by colleagues, cherished by family and community

Penn Medicine Doylestown Health radiologist Mark Silidker, MD, was at work one afternoon when he felt pain in his chest and upper abdomen.

“I had the same epigastric pain the night before, and my discomfort was relieved when I took an antacid medication,” he said.

Having just eaten a sandwich for lunch, his first thought was that he was experiencing indigestion again. Silidker took another antacid. Unfortunately, this time, his symptoms did not improve.

“I began to feel dizzy and sweaty, so I sat down in my chair,” he recalled.

Fortunately, his partner was working in the same room. Recognizing Silidker’s declining condition, he alerted the Rapid Response Team. Within minutes, the team assessed his condition and placed him on a stretcher, transporting him to the Emergency Department (ED).

An electrocardiogram (EKG) confirmed what his colleagues already suspected—Silidker was having a heart attack.

Plaque can build inside the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. A heart attack happens when plaque blocks the arteries, preventing oxygen from reaching the heart muscle, causing it to die. The faster the blockages are cleared, the less damage to your heart.

The ED team rushed Silidker to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab for a coronary angioplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that allows doctors to find and open blocked arteries.

Steven Guidera, MD, an interventional cardiologist and Silidker’s personal cardiologist, was working in the Cath Lab that day. Using low-dose X-ray guidance, Guidera threaded a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through a small incision in Silidker’s wrist and up to his heart. He injected a medical contrast dye, which revealed a severe blockage. Again, using a catheter, Guidera deployed a collapsible, mesh stent, pushing the plaque against the artery wall while propping it open, restoring blood flow to the heart of his patient, colleague, and friend.

“They took the catheter out, put pressure on my wrist, and sent me to a room in the cardiac wing,” Silidker said.

A grateful physician and patient, and an epiphany

“I was very fortunate to have had my heart attack happen while I was in the hospital, and that my colleagues took action, because there would have been a lot more damage to my heart if I had not gotten to the Cath Lab so quickly,” Silidker said. “I received excellent care throughout the entire experience. The nurses and staff on the cardiac unit were fabulous.”

Not only is he grateful for the outstanding care he received, but Silidker had a chance to observe his fellow health care workers in action. “Everyone here provides the same, high level of care and compassion to every patient,” Silidker said.

He also had an epiphany: “After my heart attack, my wife and daughters reminded me I'm important to my family, and I need to take care of myself, too,” he said.

Members of his community expressed a similar sentiment, including his priest. “I was sitting in church when the priest came down the aisle, gave me a hug, and said, ‘I'm glad you're here. Your work on this earth is not done,’" he said.

“This was a powerful message. As a physician, I often focus on others and neglect myself, and this experience opened my eyes to how much we are needed by our families and by our communities,” he said.

Though Silidker has a personal and family history of heart disease, he did what many people do—he minimized his symptoms.

“Don’t ignore your symptoms,” he said. “And, if you have a family history of heart disease, tell your primary care physician and get checked out. Don't believe because you have no symptoms that you're safe. Because heart disease can be a silent killer.”