Take me to Alaska Regional Hospital: For remarkable respect and results
Long-time Anchorage resident Ross Fosberg reclined in a dental chair during a routine cleaning when his established dentist approached with worrisome health news not related to Ross’ teeth.
“At the appointment, I had a scan of my whole head and jaw, and from those images, my dentist picked up on a blockage in my left carotid artery. He said he always checks for stuff like that,” Ross said.
The dentist notified Ross’ primary care physician and after further testing, Ross learned that plaque obstructed approximately 55 percent of his left carotid artery. His primary care doctor suggested keeping a close eye on the situation.
Fast forward four years to when Ross experienced back troubles and needed medical attention.
“During all that, they reevaluated my arteries and found my left carotid artery was between 90 and 99 percent blocked. That’s a big difference! Something needed to be done,” Ross said.
Alaska Regional Hospital: Bringing a new, minimally invasive vascular treatment to Alaska
Ross’ circumstances required careful planning and execution in order to converge his health needs with his religious beliefs. As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ross does not accept allogenic blood transfusions. But Dr. Jonathan Barnes, vascular surgeon at Alaska Regional Hospital (ARH), had an idea that would allow Ross to avoid a traditional open operation and significant blood loss. He proposed a relatively new minimally invasive treatment option — the trouble was, it wasn’t available yet.
The procedure, called Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR), clears blocked carotid arteries and helps prevent future strokes. To accomplish the task, highly trained vascular surgeons create a small incision at the neck and then insert a surgical balloon and stent into the blocked artery. Unique to TCAR, the blood flow in the carotid artery is temporarily reversed during the procedure so that tiny sediments of plaque that may break off are redirected away from the brain to prevent strokes (during this time, blood still reaches the brain through other vessels). Without a large incision, TCAR patients have significantly less risk of blood loss and infection, as well as shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries. TCAR is especially beneficial to patients with a higher risk of complications from surgery due to age or other health issues.
“Dr. Barnes suggested taking the required medications until TCAR became available. Two weeks after our conversation, Dr. Barnes called and said the procedure was approved at Alaska Regional Hospital. We were on! Dr. Barnes already had three people lined up for TCAR, and I asked to be the first patient that day” Ross said.
The connection between respect and results
Many physicians and clinicians watched as Dr. Barnes performed Alaska Regional’s first TCAR. The procedure went smoothly, opening Ross’ narrowed artery and restoring proper blood flow. After close monitoring of his blood pressure in the ICU, Ross transferred to a regular hospital room and was discharged from ARH the next day.
“Everybody treated me well all the way through. I think the key is the respect people showed me. I was absolutely struck by it. The people at Alaska Regional Hospital recognized my medical needs and my spiritual needs,” Ross said. “Dr. Barnes even met with the Jehovah’s Witness Hospital Liaison Committee prior to the procedure. The respect shown for my spiritual viewpoint gave me confidence in the people and the hospital.”
With confidence firmly rooted in his faith and his physicians, Ross said he felt comfortable enough to relax and anticipate positive results — which he gratefully received. Since the procedure, Ross has noticed less fatigue and his wife says his coloring has improved. Even more importantly, his risk for a future stroke has decreased substantially. Thanks to a remarkable combination of respect and results, Ross continues to say, “Take me to Alaska Regional Hospital.”