Young Woman Shares Lessons Learned After Mitral Valve Repair
For 27-year-old Rachael Boyle, heart health was a familiar topic. Her younger brother had experienced heart problems as a teenager, but she had always been healthy. That all changed when she fell ill in April 2024. The First Signs As Rachael wrapped up her spring semester at the University of Texas, she started experiencing persistent fevers and headaches. Initially dismissing it as a common illness, she pushed through, balancing schoolwork while trying to recover. But after several days of recurring high fevers, she knew something wasn’t right. Rachael spent the next few weeks in and out of urgent care, taking [...]
How Dr. Nicolas Zea’s Passion for Adventure Fuels His Work in the OR
As one of our board certified vascular surgeons, Dr. Nicolas Zea performs a variety of complex procedures, and his dedication to patient care and service is exceptional. What you might not know about him is that he is also an avid adventurer, running ultra marathons and traveling far and wide to embark on trail run excursions and mountain climbing expeditions. His dedication to building the stamina and strength for these expeditions mirrors the perseverance he relies on in the operating room, where performing vascular surgery demands methodical preparation, hours of focus, and meticulous attention to detail. Here’s more on Dr. [...]
How Family History is a Window into your Heart Health
If you never experienced symptoms of heart trouble and were in excellent shape, would you think to visit a cardiologist? What if you had a family history of cardiovascular disease – would you change your mind? For CTVS patient Chad Benestante, these questions hit close to home. Chad is a very active, fit and generally healthy 53 year old firefighter who works out six days a week. Even though his father died from a heart attack at an early age, Chad never dreamed he would be affected by heart disease because he has lived a healthy lifestyle. His father also [...]
Austin runner experiences life and death situation as his aorta tears
CTVS patient, William Penny, shared his aortic dissection story with Nicole Villalpando from the Austin American Statesman to help raise awareness about heart health during American Heart Month. You can read his story below or find it on the Austin American Statesman website here. Will Penny and his wife were going for a run on Oct. 30 in their Northwest Austin neighborhood. It wasn't even a difficult run, just 2.1 miles, something they had done regularly. This time, though, as he approached a hill, he had to stop, first at a utilities box, then on a bench. He felt a [...]
CTVS Celebrates Super Doctors and Top Doctors
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons is proud to share that several of our physicians received important accolades closing out 2024 and ushering in 2025. For several years, our team of cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons has been humbled to receive recognition as Texas Monthly Super Doctors and Austin Monthly Top Doctors. Since the practice opened as one of the first cardiothoracic and vascular specialists in Central Texas more than 65 years ago, our physicians have been dedicated to serving as valuable resources and trusted colleagues to our peers in the medical community as well as treating our patients with the utmost care, [...]
A Runner’s Run-In with Aortic Dissection
An aortic dissection is a very serious, often times fatal, condition that takes place when the inner layers of the aorta (the body’s largest artery) weaken and tear causing blood to “dissect” the aorta into a false lumen & true lumen (very much like a double barrel shotgun). This can affect the entireity of the blood vessel from the heart to the pelvis, as well as important side branches, which could compromise blood supply to the brain, spinal cord, kidneys, intestine, & lower extremities. Fortunately, aortic dissection is rare and occurs in about five to 30 people per every one [...]
Lung cancer as a nonsmoker younger than 40? Yes, as Central Texas woman found out.
CTVS patient, Cherith Satterfield, shared her lung cancer story with Nicole Villalpando from the Austin American Statesman to help raise awareness about the increase in lung cancer cases in young adults. You can read her story below or find it on the Austin American Statesman website here. Every time Cherith Satterfield took a deep breath, she would hear a whistle. The 39-year-old thought she was having seasonal allergies, or maybe it was related to a thyroid problem she had been working on with a doctor. Her lungs sounded normal to her doctor, but she was sent to get an X-ray [...]
How to Avoid Heart Health Risks this Winter
While constant, biting cold weather in the winter months is not typically common in Central Texas, we do get a few snaps of extreme temperatures that send the mercury diving down. Sudden extreme turns in the weather can take a toll on your health, especially your cardiovascular health. Colder weather can cause blood vessels to contract and the circulatory system to work harder, potentially raising blood pressure. In addition, research shows that the number of fatal heart attacks often spikes during the winter months. At CTVS, our team of cardiothoracic and vascular specialists is dedicated to promoting heart health year-round, [...]
How CTVS Treats Diabetes Complications
Diabetes affects millions of Americans. It occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin and process blood sugar properly. If managed well through proper diet and medication, those with diabetes can lead full and active lives. There are however some serious complications commonly associated with diabetes, like cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease). November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and at CTVS we’re sharing ways in which we help treat complications from diabetes that may pose very serious risks to our patients' overall health and well-being. Cardiovascular Disease When diabetes is not properly managed, blood [...]
A Mother’s Battle with Lung Cancer and the Importance of Early Detection
This Thanksgiving, 39-year-old Cherith Satterfield has much to be grateful for as she gathers with her family. The wife, mother of five, three grown and two at home, was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of lung cancer earlier this year. For Cherith, the journey has been a powerful reminder to take your health seriously. A Surprising Diagnosis For nearly a year, Cherith had been battling health issues that kept her in and out of her doctor’s office. She suffered from severe leg pain, swelling and cold sensitivity. Working closely with her primary care doctor, Cherith was diagnosed with [...]