Providence Medical Associates:
In Action
Gina, 45, a wife and mother of three boys from Miami, was visiting Los Angeles with her family in June 2022 for elective surgery. It was during the first few days of her recovery that Gina began to experience fatigue and shortness of breath.
Gina was recovering from her surgery in the family’s hotel room when she suddenly could not catch her breath. She felt her body temperature rise as she struggled to breathe. Panic-stricken, and close to passing out, Gina told her husband, Anderson, to call 911. The paramedics arrived at the hotel to care for Gina. Before she knew it, Gina was in an ambulance on the way to Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance.
“I could feel my chest tightening with every breath I took. It was like an elephant was sitting on my chest, cutting off all my oxygen.” Gina said. Upon arrival at the hospital, Gina was met by a team of healthcare professionals prepared for her arrival. She recalls the emergency department charge nurse saying to her “I am not going to BS you. You are very sick. And we are going to take good care of you”. Gina realized how serious things were. All she could think about were her boys and how much she wanted to see them.
Dr. Murrad Abdelkarim, Interventional Cardiologist, consulted Anderson on his wife’s condition and advised immediate intervention with FlowTriever. “Gina presented with a sub-massive PE one week after a recent surgery that limited treatment options. She was teetering on a massive PE with a real chance of death. We needed to work quickly to remove the blood clots.” said Dr. Abdelkarim regarding his decision to use FlowTriever to treat Gina. The procedure was a success. Gina’s oxygen saturation improved, and her heart rate and blood pressure began to normalize shortly after the clots were removed.
Gina spent 4-days in the hospital before she was discharged. She and Anderson returned to Providence Little Company of Mary to express their gratitude to Dr. Abdelkarim and his staff for saving her life. Gina and her family are now back home in Miami, FL with a new outlook on life.
