Back to Adventure: A Patient’s Story

After a rewarding career in aviation as a corporate and airline pilot, Louis Benton has lived a life full of adventure and world travels. In retirement, he was enjoying a busy schedule of activities until he had to put things on hold for an unexpected heart incident.

“I have always been aware of being slightly overweight and its potential impact on my health, so I wanted to get checked out as soon as possible when I had pain in my chest that was not going away,” he said.

After developing persistent chest pain while doing yard work, Louis called 911 and was taken to the ER at McCarran NW, an extension of Northern Nevada Medical Center. “Although I was aware of the ER at McCarran NW, this was my first visit there. The intake process was very easy,” he said. “My information was taken right away, and I was quickly seen by a doctor.”

A pleasant experience

One consistent theme during his visit was the interactions he had with staff when receiving care. “The mood of the setting was a very clear indicator of my overall experience,” he said. “Everyone was so cheerful and all seemed to be happy and proud to be doing what they were doing, which was a new experience compared to past ER visits I’ve had elsewhere.”

After an EKG, chest X-ray and blood draws, Louis was diagnosed with acute chest pain and acute coronary syndrome when some unusual changes to his EKG were found. He was transferred to Sierra Medical Center, an extension of Northern Nevada Medical Center (SMC), for a cardiology consultation to further diagnose and treat his condition.

Upon further testing at SMC, doctors discovered Louis had a blockage in his heart. He was quickly transported to the cardiac cath lab, where Interventional Cardiologist Devang Desai, MD, FACC, FSCAI, placed a stent in his heart.

“I was very fortunate to have my procedure performed so quickly after I went to the ER,” he said. “Sierra Medical Center was exceptionally clean and the staff were just as friendly and happy as those at the ER at McCarran NW.”

Though this was Louis’s first experience at both facilities, he was grateful for the care and kindness shown to him by the staff, and the efficiency at which he was treated. After a short recovery, Louis is back to his favorite pasttimes of riding motorcycles and off-road traveling.

If you are experiencing symptoms of a possible heart attack, dial 911 or get to the nearest ER right away.

Learn more about Northern Nevada Health System’s 24/7 ER locations