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Going the Distance
Michael DiGuglielmo may travel a good distance for his medical care, but his doctor went
even further to make sure Michael’s heart problem was diagnosed and treated in rapid time.
When retirement persuaded 63-
year-old Michael DiGuglielmo
to relocate to Mays Landing
from Toms River, he was determined that
distance wouldn’t keep him from maintaining
relationships with the select physicians
who had cared for him so well for years.
Recently, Michael came back to see
board certified nephrologist and intensivist
Avais Masud, M.D. He had been seeing
Dr. Masud regarding his kidney disease.
Expecting a quick checkup, Michael’s visit
turned out to be far from routine.
"Although Michael insisted he was fine,
his lab work looked suspicious and he
mentioned fatigue and indigestion persisting
for three days," says Dr. Masud. "My
philosophy is to evaluate the whole patient
— especially since his kidney disease could be a predisposition
to a heart attack. The more
I listened to his heart, the
more I suspected something
was wrong."
Dr. Masud called
Michael’s cardiologist, Steven
Daniels, M.D., while Michael
was still in the examination
room. "Dr. Daniels has been
my cardiologist since my
mild myocardial infarction
in 1989," says Michael. "I
became an avid exerciser
and did what he said."
Dr. Masud and Dr.
Daniels thought Michael’s
condition and new symptoms
warranted investigation, and
encouraged him to report
directly to the emergency
department at Jersey Shore
University Medical Center. As
soon as Michael arrived, he
was whisked away for multiple
tests, including a cardiac catheterization.
The Jersey Shore cardiac team diagnosed
severe coronary artery blockages and recommended
coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
surgery. He was immediately admitted, and
within a few days underwent successful
CABG surgery with six grafts performed by
Brook DeJene, M.D.
"Following his first heart attack,
Michael has been an ideal patient," says
Dr. Daniels. "He lost weight and stayed on
top of his cholesterol and blood pressure.
Had he not done those things, it’s likely
that he would have developed more significant
heart disease — and possibly a heart
attack — years ago. The shape that he was
in before the surgery certainly aided his
recovery also."
"I was terrified several days before and
after the surgery. But the nursing staff at
Jersey Shore was amazing and compassionate,"
Michael continues. "Plus, I knew that
Dr. Masud and Dr. Daniels were there for
me. Other people I know who have had
open-heart surgery elsewhere had nowhere
near the great experience that I did."
Eight weeks after his surgery, Michael
was dancing at his niece’s wedding and
packing for an annual Canadian fishing
trip with his brothers. Friends and family
can’t believe that he’s had open-heart surgery,
as he looks forward to an upcoming
visit to Italy with his wife, Marie.
Michael and his family credit
Dr. Masud’s intercession for averting a
catastrophic cardiac event. "The way
that he and Dr. Daniels work together is
how medicine should be," says Michael.
I received a fast diagnosis and surgery
before the coronary blockages had a
chance to do permanent damage."
Regarding his routine rides up the
Garden State Parkway for future doctor’s
visits, Michael emphatically responds,
"Great doctors and medical care are always
worth the trip."
 – John Shaffer
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