In 2006, Steve Pitkin suffered a serious heart attack while hiking above Salt Lake City with his daughter.
The main artery in Pitkin’s heart was completely blocked, leaving 70% of his left ventricle without oxygen for nearly three hours. He was lucky to be alive.
The heart attack left his heart severely damaged, and a year later he had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed in his chest to help regulate his heartbeat.
For the next several years, Pitkin’s heart continued to weaken.
In February 2024, a lifesaving surgery gave him back his life. He had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted inside of his heart.
An LVAD is a mechanical heart pump for people who have advanced heart failure. The LVAD is surgically implanted inside your heart but does not replace it. The device assists your heart with pumping blood through your body.
Pitkin first learned about LVAD as a treatment option from cardiothoracic surgeon Craig Selzman, MD, and the comprehensive advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory team. Pitkin had another heart attack while visiting family in Virginia. As soon as he returned to Utah, he met with Selzman.
“When I met with Dr. Selzman, he suggested taking the LVAD route, since my heart was going to continue to get weaker,” Pitkin said. “It didn’t seem very appealing, and my initial response was ‘no way’.”
However, not long after his initial meeting with Selzman, Pitkin was back in the hospital again, struggling to breathe. At this point, Pitkin was running out of options and needed to make a decision.
“I was told I could stay on my current medication regimen and last two weeks, or I could switch to a new medication, and I’d last a week,” Pitkin said. “The third option was the LVAD.”
Two days later, on February 2, 2024, Selzman and the Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support Team implanted an LVAD into Pitkin’s heart.
“It’s very painful surgery, and the recovery is painful,” Pitkin said. “But Dr. Selzman is so light and told me he would do everything he could to make things better for me. He made sure the LVAD and ICD devices work really well together.”
Just one week after surgery, Doug Benson, PT, a physical therapist from Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, came to visit Pitkin. Benson wanted to learn more about Pitkin’s goals for rehab.
Pitkin wanted to walk a half-mile as soon as possible and navigate the stairs in his four-level home. For the next five weeks, Benson ran Pitkin through his paces. Every day, Pitkin had four to five sessions a day, with a mixture of physical and occupational therapy.
The kindness of Benson and his colleagues at the rehab hospital made all the difference for Pitkin.
“Doug helped me push my limits so I could get stronger, but he was always so kind and understanding,” Pitkin said. “I never felt judged.”
University of Utah Hospital and Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital are uniquely positioned to collaborate in providing care for patients like Pitkin.
“Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital is attached to the main University Hospital, so we can offer high level care for patients recovering from serious injuries or complex surgeries,” said Nick Gavern, MD, head physician of the Medically Complex Rehab Team at Neilsen Rehabilitation hospital. Over the past year, Gavern has helped build a stronger relationship with the cardiothoracic and LVAD teams at the main University Hospital.
“We have been working in more unison together which has been fantastic,” Gavern said. “This has opened the door for us to take care of more LVAD patients like Steve, and to do a much better job than we ever have before.”
Pitkin’s experience is a great example of the two hospitals’ successful collaboration.
By the time he graduated from rehab, Pitkin was walking two laps around the track and walking up and down a 23-step staircase by himself.
“They told me I was ready to be released,” he said. “I didn’t think I was ready, but I guess I was.”
When Pitkin came home, he settled into his new routine with his LVAD in tow. Even though it has been a big adjustment, he has been successful getting back to normal life. This wouldn’t have been possible without a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
“We can do the technical surgery and get the patient through their critical illness, but we also need to make sure they get home and back to their quality of life,” Selzman said. “That’s what the team at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital makes possible.”
In order to function, an LVAD must be plugged into a power source 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pitkin’s LVAD is plugged into a power outlet in his bedroom with a long cord that allows him to walk around the entire upstairs. Pitkin also uses batteries to operate his LVAD, which gives him more freedom to do the things he wants to do.
“There are two options for carrying your power source when you aren’t plugged into an outlet,” Pitkin said. “You can either carry the batteries in a briefcase or wear a vest that holds the batteries and the controller.”
Pitkin bought some LVAD vests, but they weren’t very comfortable.
“My wife picked them apart and sewed the pockets in the places that were more comfortable for me,” he said. “I wear my vest most of the time and can wear it comfortably for 12 hours.”
Although it’s not always pleasant to be plugged in to a battery or a wall outlet, Pitkin does his best to be as positive as he can.
“I think the positive attitude of my wife, Dr. Selzman, and everyone at the rehab hospital has helped me so much,” Pitkin said. “I was able to grab a hold of that positivity stick.”
Pitkin, now 75 years old, is getting back to some of his favorite things: taking care of his yard and taking trips across the country to visit his seven children, 20 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He and his wife also have plans to go on a cruise.
"I’m looking forward to several good years of continued life,” Pitkin said. “I’m happy to be alive, and I’m glad I got the LVAD even though I initially didn’t want to. It has turned out very well for me."
Pitkin has a bit of advice for anyone who is eligible for an LVAD.
“Do it,” he said. “Do it now, and make it work.”