The Beat Goes On: Doug Genzlinger Celebrates WakeMed's Heart for Heart Care

Heart problems can be subtle, and for Doug Genzlinger, who rarely visited his doctor, it took a pretty significant event to send him to his provider after months of intermittent, crushing fatigue.

"I had an incident around July 4, 2023, in which I was out in the heat, and I got heat sick with symptoms of shortness of breath, extreme tiredness and swelling. I realized I was getting older and needed to see a doctor." 

An Introduction to WakeMed Heart & Vascular 

Primary care provider Dr. James Womble referred Doug to WakeMed Heart & Vascular after he became concerned about Doug's ongoing fatigue that would hit him in waves.

"I'd have days where I had no energy. I'd wake up some days not even able to walk my dog around the backyard. Other days, I'd get up, and I'd go walk my dog a mile and 1/2 and then go play disc golf with no problems."

In September 2023, Doug met with Saleen Khan, MD, of WakeMed Heart & Vascular - Cardiology - Cary. Dr. Khan administered a stress test to learn more about Doug's heart. 

Doug chuckles, "When I went for the stress test, they told me they needed to work my heart until it got up to above 130 or 140 beats per minute. I was already at 120, so it didn't take long at all to get there."

With results in hand, Dr. Khan diagnosed Doug with atrial fibrillation (AFib). They collaborated to determine how to approach his condition. Doug agreed to start with medication management. 

"Dr. Khan took the time to share why I had been referred and several different treatment options available for AFib. Not one time did she pressure me to choose one option over another, and all of my questions and concerns were answered professionally and respectfully."

When medication, alone, did not successfully manage his condition, Dr. Khan and Doug discussed cardioversion. This procedure restores a normal heart rhythm using an electrical device, but it doesn't address the underlying cause of the arrhythmia. 

WakeMed Atrial Fibrillation Center

After it, too, proved unsuccessful as a long term solution, in March 2024, Dr. Khan referred Doug to Ashish Patel, MD, MPH, FACC, of the WakeMed Atrial Fibrillation Center to discuss ablation, among other options. Dr. Patel informed Doug that they needed a multidisciplinary approach that included Dr. Khan and cardiovascular surgeon Byron Boulton, MD, FACS. 

Doug received an echocardiogram and a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) in the catheterization lab. Dr. Khan and team discovered that Doug's condition was more severe than initially thought.

"When Dr. Khan saw the results, she referred me to cardiovascular surgeon Byron Boulton, MD, FACS, and at that point, he shared various options and explained that I basically needed a new valve."

Heart Care at Its Finest with WakeMed Cardiovascular Surgery

Dr. Boulton discussed with Doug the pros and cons of a bioprosthetic versus a mechanical heart valve replacement, and after thoroughly educating him, Dr. Boulton allowed Doug to decide which valve type he would prefer.

"As I had come to expect, Dr. Boulton and his staff were extremely knowledgeable and explained that I had heart valve disease and that the best course of action would be replacement surgery. He also shared his video, Valve Disease, where he explained symptoms and that many patients figured it was just old age. These symptoms were exactly what I was experiencing. He discussed treatment options, but I made the ultimate decision to go with the mechanical valve. The whole process was detailed, and there were never any events that were unexpected." 

Doug was feeling very unwell, so he sought to schedule surgery immediately.  

"I wanted to get it taken care of, and I'd rather it be done sooner rather than later."

Before Doug left the appointment, Dr. Boulton scheduled Doug for surgery on July 12, 2024.

Doug required pre-surgery testing to determine if the surgery could be minimally invasive. He was taken to the catheterization lab and received a computed tomography (CT) scan.

"My CT scan was scheduled at 9:00 in the morning, and I showed up 30 minutes in advance. I was walking out of the door at 9:05. All of the staff for these procedures continued the extraordinary customer service experience."

On the day of surgery, Doug arrived to WakeMed Heart Center at 5:30 in the morning. He awoke from surgery in his private room in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU) around 12:30 that afternoon.

"After surgery was when my awesome experience with the nurses started. The first nurse kept saying, 'Doug, wake up and breathe.' Try as I might, I kept falling asleep, and she was so patient and encouraging. She got me through it."

Doug remained in the ICU for two days, where he received around-the-clock care that he described as "absolutely amazing."

Doug recalls his anxiety about sleep. "I'm a stomach sleeper, and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to sleep in that position with all the intravenous (IV) cords and everything. I was concerned about being able to get rest. The combination of the medication that I was on and the way that they reclined my bed where I wasn't lying flat on my back, surprisingly allowed me to have a pleasant couple of restful nights."

On Sunday, July 14, Doug was taken to the WakeMed Raleigh Campus step-down unit: 3E.

"Monday morning, I got up to walk with my physical therapist, and I was bragging about how well I was doing. The nurse encouraged me, sharing in the excitement of my recovery. I was motivated. Suddenly, I felt lightheaded. I coded for a few seconds. They stepped right into action, and my incident couldn't have happened in a better place."

Doug was immediately returned to ICU for careful monitoring. 

"When I had the incident, they used an attached pacer to get my heart back to normal rhythm. That was only possible due to a fortunate delay in the decision to pull it. The nurse had planned to do so about an hour earlier, but I was in the middle of eating breakfast when she came by, so she decided she'd come back later. This incident also led the team to determine that I needed a pacemaker installation. Dr. Patel performed that surgery the following day."

After one more day in the ICU, Doug was returned to 3E where he remained for a few more days until his discharge on Tuesday, July 23. 

"I was nervous about another setback, so I probably asked for help a bit more than I needed it. The care team gladly helped me and never complained. They all treated me really well."

The Healing Journey Continues

Doug continues to recover at home and hopes to return to work and disc golf soon. Meanwhile, he is enjoying leisure walks with his dog and receiving therapy through WakeMed Cardiac Rehab.

"I'm very much looking forward to increasing my stamina and developing good food and exercise habits."

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About WakeMed Cardiac Rehab

WakeMed Cardiac Rehab offers a safe, monitored environment where you can gain the strength, confidence, camaraderie and nutritional know-how you need to live a heart-healthy life.

The WakeMed Cardiac Rehab specialists welcome patients who have undergone the following:

• A recent heart attack
• Cardiac bypass surgery
• Angioplasty or stent placement
• Valve repair or replacement surgery
• A heart transplant
• Stable angina
• Heart failure

Patients with ventricular assist devices also benefit from our program.

About WakeMed Heart & Vascular

WakeMed Heart & Vascular physicians bring together expert cardiovascular, thoracic and vascular surgeons who are dedicated to delivering the highest level of cardiovascular care in Raleigh, Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner and Clayton, N.C. For decades, these physicians have chosen to bring their talent and expertise to WakeMed for its reputation for excellence in cardiovascular care and commitment to providing the most exceptional patient experience.