A Melbourne doctor is championing awareness of a life-threatening heart condition after surviving a near-fatal experience himself. At the age of 24, Dr. Geoff Lester was diagnosed with an aortic dissection, a condition he had never heard of before. “The pain really hit me like a truck,” he recalled in an interview with 7NEWS.
Dr. Lester’s experience was harrowing. He learned that immediate surgery was essential for his survival. “The surgeon told me if we didn’t operate right now, I’d be dead,” he stated. This traumatic brush with death not only shaped his career as a vascular physician but also ignited a lifelong commitment to raising awareness about aortic dissection among health professionals and the public.
Vow to Help Others
Determined to make a difference, Dr. Lester made a promise to the medical team that saved him. “Get me through this, I promise I will do right and I will make a life that is constructive and helps others,” he vowed. His mission focuses on educating others about the aorta, the large artery responsible for transporting oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. In rare instances, the inner wall of the aorta can split, leading to catastrophic internal bleeding.
Another survivor, Peter Fleming, shared his own experience with aortic dissection. He described feeling profusely sweaty, unable to stand, and incredibly thirsty before he realized something was seriously wrong. “I said to my wife, ‘there’s something majorly wrong’,” he recounted. Unfortunately, many patients with aortic dissection do not survive long enough to receive treatment.
Statistics indicate that most patients succumb before reaching the hospital. Those who do arrive face daunting odds. “On the day of my operation, I was given around a 10 to 15 percent chance of survival. I’m probably one of the luckiest men you’ll ever meet,” Fleming stated.
Raising Awareness
Dr. Lester highlighted a concerning trend: medical professionals misdiagnose aortic dissection in more than 50 percent of cases where patients do reach the hospital. “This is the third most common misdiagnosis in the emergency department,” he explained.
To combat this issue, Dr. Lester is urging both Australian health professionals and patients to “think aorta” when faced with symptoms such as acute chest pain or dizziness. His campaign has already shown promise in other countries, notably the UK, where it has led to a significant increase in the diagnosis of aortic disease. “This has resulted in a 68 percent increase in diagnosis of aortic disease in the UK. So it works,” Dr. Lester asserted.
Through his advocacy, Dr. Geoff Lester aims not only to save lives but also to ensure that others do not have to endure the same terrifying experience he faced. He continually emphasizes the importance of awareness and education in preventing misdiagnosis and improving outcomes for those affected by this potentially fatal condition.
