Breakthroughs RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL • 2023
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IN THE NICK OF TIME
ick Roach recalls the sudden, sharp, and radiating pain he felt in his lower abdomen in March 2021. “It was unbelievable,” he says. “I couldn’t sit still.” As a result, his primary doctor ordered a series of imaging tests, which confirmed the presence of kidney stones. Unfortunately, Nick would quickly find out that the stones were not his biggest health concern. The same screenings revealed something far more dire: a large abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aorta is the most critical blood vessel in the body. It funnels oxygenenriched blood from the heart down through the abdomen to major arteries. In Nick’s case, his was swollen and bulging to the point where it was in danger of rupturing. If that happened, Nick could experience massive and often fatal internal bleeding. In fact, Nick’s father had died from a ruptured aneurysm years before.
L-R: Liza Roach (daughter), Nick, Lynn Roach (daughter-in-law), and Robb Roach (son)
protocol and reached out to her counterpart at the Boston hospital to facilitate a physician-to-physician hand-off.
Carla C. Moreira, MD
Moving at the speed of life After the unsettling discovery, Nick, then 77, was immediately taken to Rhode Island Hospital. There, a strategy of care was discussed urgently. Nick’s family had a personal connection with a doctor at a Boston hospital, the initial plan was to transfer him there. Abiding by his family’s wishes, Nick’s vascular surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital, Carla C. Moreira, MD, followed
Nick was accepted for transfer and an ambulance was arranged. However, his abdominal pain worsened, and it became clear that he needed emergency surgery. Going to Boston was too risky, he was rushed to the OR at Rhode Island Hospital for open repair of his abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Allaying concerns, Delivering health with care In the skillful hands of Dr. Moreira and team, Nick underwent the complicated procedure, which entailed making an incision in his abdominal wall, removing the weakened and distended portion of his aorta, and replacing it with synthetic tubing to allow the blood vessel to function as intended. The surgery was a success. (continued on page 2)