Seemingly in excellent cardiovascular shape after finishing the challenge, Bill was at a party in early 2002 when he felt an intense pain in his groin.” It felt like somebody had kicked me,” recalls Bill. “Within a matter of hours, I was doubled over in pain, in tears, and wanting to vomit. I had never experienced pain quite like this before.”
At St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener, Bill underwent a CT scan in an effort to seek out the source of pain that had caused him such anguish. The doctors said they believed he’d had an iliac dissection.
The iliac artery is formed when the aorta branches in the lower abdomen. It serves as the major blood supply to the leg and pelvis on each side of the body. An iliac aneurysm can be life-threatening, as the interior walls of the artery tear – commonly referred to as a dissection or rupture. If blood breaks outside the iliac artery wall, consequences can be dire.
As Bill would later learn, he escaped that by only the slimmest of margins. A journalist by trade, he began conducting his own investigative research into iliac dissections.
His initial path led to Dr. D. Craig Miller, a Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery at Stanford University, specializing in cardiac valve and thoracic aortic surgery.
“When I got in contact with Dr. Miller, informed him of my diagnosis and symptoms, without hesitation, he said, ‘Tirone David at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre is the guy you want to see.'”
A world-renowned surgeon, hundreds of his colleagues from around the globe visit Dr. David’s operating theatre every year to learn under his guidance. Dr. David replied to Bill’s inquiry and referred him to a vascular surgeon at the PMCC.
A comprehensive imaging assessment was performed on Bill upon his arrival to the PMCC. It was decided that the risks of surgical intervention on the aneurysm were too great, and Bill would have to make alterations to his lifestyle that ensured his cardiovascular system would not be placed under stress.
“I wasn’t permitted to partake in any activity whereby my heart rate would rise above 100 beats per minute,” says Bill. “I also could not lift anything heavier than 40 pounds. I could still bicycle and wear a heart monitor, but the risks of complicating the matter via surgical intervention were greater than leaving the dissection alone.”
From 2002 onwards, Bill made annual visits to the PMCC so that imaging specialists could monitor the aneurysm. If it increased in size, doctors would have to ultimately remove the dissection. He was placed on beta blockers, a drug used to keep his heart rhythm down.
Under the care of Dr. Thomas Lindsay, the decision was made to remove the area of the dissection – it had grown too large in size and the risk of rupture was now greater than the risk of repair.
In 2015, Dr. Lindsay and a multidisciplinary team consisting of vascular surgeons, cardiac anaesthesiologists and perfusionists performed a bi-iliac aortic repair.
Last summer, Bill was a volunteer at the 2015 Pan American Games, assisting with the cycling competitions taking place at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, and drawing inspiration from the athletes to pursue his personal goals.
“I’m looking forward to being a member of the cycling community again,” says Bill. “I’m incredibly thankful for the care I received at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre – the doctors, nurses, imaging specialists – they were compassionate, knowledgeable, and attentive and always made me feel like I was in good hands.”