Updated on Feb. 19, 2025
On June 8, 40-year-old Laura Brown attended her 11-year-old daughter’s softball game in Irvine. Recording her daughter’s at-bat appearance, she never could have imagined a routine outing would turn into a life-altering predicament for her.
A Sudden Turn for the Worse
During the game, Laura felt something wrong with her body, so she turned to her friend beside her and told her to call 911. Laura laid herself on the ground and immediately fell unconscious, seizing the entire time. The paramedics arrived and stabilized Laura and quickly transported her to a local hospital. Once the doctors found she had an aneurysm, Laura was immediately helicoptered to MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center where the surgical team of the advanced aortic program was ready to treat her.
The aortic program at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center is known for its advanced, minimally invasive heart and vascular procedures and personalized treatment plans, which provide patients the world-class care in heart care. The leadership of the aortic program at Long Beach Medical Center has been pioneers in the development and advancement of aortic surgery for 30 years, equipped to handle life-threatening conditions such as advanced aortic diseases.
Upon arrival, Laura was treated by cardiovascular surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Dr. Ali Khoynezhad.
Treatment for an Aortic Dissection
Dr. Khoynezhad and his team discovered Laura had an acute type A aortic dissection with malperfusion to the brain and suffered a major stroke from dissection into the carotid arteries. An aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops in the ascending part of the aorta near the branches of the heart. It is the most common type of aortic dissection, but rare for women and in Laura’s age group. This type of dissection primarily affects men, usually 50 years old and older, due to their weakened arteries or possible high blood pressure.
For this condition, the mortality rate quickly rises each hour. Within 48 hours, the patient is less likely to survive – a life-or-death situation that needs to be handled urgently.
With quick action, Dr. Khoynezhad and his nine-member team of OR nurses, anesthesiologist, perfusionists and scrub nurses performed a type A dissection repair. This procedure requires open-heart surgery where the first portion of the aorta from the heart to the carotid arteries had to be replaced, including Laura’s heart valve to stop blood from leaking into the aortic wall.
Laura’s aorta was destroyed from the aortic dissection, so Dr. Khoynezhad performed a complex Bentall hemiarch procedure, a type of cardiac surgery that is also referred to as an aortic root replacement. For the procedure, Laura was placed under a hypothermic circulatory arrest that cooled down her body while Dr. Khoynezhad replaced her aortic valve and the aortic root.
One reason these procedures in setting of acute type A aortic dissection with malperfusion to the brain is complex is because of the high-level precision and mastery required to simultaneously repair or replace both the valve and the aorta while ensuring proper attachment of the coronary arteries and proper perfusion of all brain arteries. Additionally, patients undergoing this type of surgery often have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or connective tissue disorders, which make this procedure more challenging.
Despite its complexity, a Bentall procedure is necessary for patients with a type A aortic dissection because it can be life-threatening if left untreated. The care team at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute specializes in this well-proven operation, providing patients with excellent long-term health results.
“The operation was high-risk in nature, but the only option to save Laura’s life as well,” said Ali Khoynezhad, M.D., director aortic and arrhythmia surgery, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute. “Our highly specialized care team was determined to save Laura by any means possible.”
Recovery After Aortic Dissection Treatment
After her surgery, Laura was hospitalized for a week, where the care team supported her during her recovery. They monitored Laura regularly and were always there in case she needed anything.
“The care team was incredible, and Dr. Khoynezhad made me feel so safe with how he took time out of his day to check on me and explain to me the process. I felt at peace at Long Beach Medical Center.”
- Laura
As one of the most high-performing hospitals according to U.S. News & World Report, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute is a six-time five-star recipient recognized for its excellence in coronary bypass surgery, coronary intervention, treatment of heart attack and heart failure by heart grades, and has recently received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, as well as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, with these achievements and an array of passionate and renowned specialists, patients like Laura are provided with the highest quality care and comfort during their hospitalization.
Since it is rare for a woman her age to experience a type A aortic dissection, especially someone who works out constantly and eats healthy, genetics may have played a factor in her having this condition. Dr. Khoynezhad plans to test her and her children for genetic abnormalities to see if they are at risk for having a type A aortic dissection in the future.
Life After a Miraculous Aortic Journey
Today, Laura is recovering well and celebrated a significant moment three weeks after her surgery – marrying her husband, Brian. She is enjoying her new lease on life and is cherishing every moment with her family and friends. Since her situation was something she never thought could happen to her, Laura educates others about the possibility of this disease. Some of her friends even went to their primary care doctor to get their heart checked after hearing her story.
“This was a surreal moment for me, and for a while I was in shock that I went through this,” said Laura. “However, my faith, spending time in prayer and talking through what happened to me helped me and my family cope. I truly believe God placed me in Dr. K’s care that day for a reason.”
Laura encourages everyone out there to ask their primary care doctors for a full health screening – not just a routine physical – and to always have a positive attitude when faced with adversity.
“I believe my mom, who is my guardian angel in heaven, was looking out for me,” said Laura. “And on Earth, my other guardian angel was Dr. Khoynezhad.”
