Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital – Flower Mound

Stirring his cup of coffee, Scott Berryhill began what he thought would be his normal workday from home, complete with high-level conference calls, a constant pace and a headset attached to his ear. Suddenly, his morning routine was interrupted by tightness in his chest and excruciating pain radiating down his left arm.

“I didn’t know if it was a heart attack, but I knew something was wrong,” Berryhill said.

After rushing to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound’s emergency room*, several tests were performed on 53-year-old Berryhill, including a diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure.

However, he was found to have a heart condition he’d never heard of — a myocardial bridge.

It’s a condition where one of the heart’s main arteries tunnels into the heart muscle and back out again, instead of resting on the surface, said Geetha Ramaswamy, MD, an interventional cardiologist on the Texas Health Flower Mound medical staff and a practitioner with Texas Health Heart and Vascular Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice.

Ramaswamy, who also serves as the cath lab medical director, performed Berryhill’s cardiac catheterization. She inserted a thin, flexible tube through his right wrist into a large blood vessel leading to his heart and with the aid of diagnostic imaging was able to detect his myocardial bridge.

“When the heart muscle contracts and relaxes, which is what heart muscles do all day, every day, they can squeeze the artery,” Ramaswamy said. “For some patients, including Mr. Berryhill, that could be a source of chest pain, and symptoms can sometimes mirror someone who has blockage from a heart attack.”

Ramaswamy added that the biggest benefit to having a cardiac catheterization lab at Texas Health Flower Mound involves convenience and the ability to provide quick attention to patients who present with chest pain symptoms.

Cath lab manager Tommy Leathers agrees. The new cath lab, which opened last month, is enhancing cardiac care for Flower Mound residents.

“We used to transfer patients to Denton for coronary and peripheral interventions, which was a patient dissatisfier. It would delay care and sometimes intensify an already stressful situation,” Leathers said. “We’re taking better care of the community by providing these services right where they live.”

Berryhill is one Flower Mound resident who is beyond grateful.

His cardiac condition, which affects more than 30% of the adult population**, did not require surgery. After additional testing to rule out other health concerns, Ramaswamy prescribed medication to relax his heart muscle and alleviate his pain.

“Every single person treated me with a sense of urgency, compassion, and respect. From doctors on the medical staff, nurses, to custodians and other staff — everyone had a smile on their face,” Berryhill said. “They made sure I was comfortable, and I was much more relaxed knowing everyone had my best interest at heart.”

Chief Nursing Officer Sandi Gill, MHA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, never grows tired of hearing glowing compliments like these from patients and their families.

“We pride ourselves on not only offering advanced treatment and procedures, but doing it all through compassionate care,” Gill said. “We try to keep in mind that any patient we see could be our family member and treat them accordingly. Flower Mound is a warm, friendly community, and we hope we reflect that same spirit.”

* Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound is a joint venture involving Texas Health Resources and physicians dedicated to the community and meets the definition under federal law of a physician-owned hospital. Doctors on the medical staffs practice independently and are not employees or agents of the hospital. © 2023 Texas Health Resources

** Recent statistics published by the European Society of Cardiology: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartjsupp/article/24/Supplement_I/I61/6823840.