Overcoming Aortic Dissection to Achieve an Inspiring Recovery

Caring for a very sick patient takes a village. In Matt Schaefers' case, the expert care he received from a wide range of Mass General Brigham specialists not only saved his life but also enabled him to return to living.

Matt, 42, a PhD infectious disease research scientist at Boston Children's Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, is an active father of two elementary-aged children. He lives with his wife, Kristi, and their kids in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

While Matt was used to managing high blood pressure with medication, little did he know that hidden in his genetic makeup was an increased likelihood of developing a life-threatening condition called aortic dissection.

The issue came to light without warning one winter morning. Thanks to the efforts of a multidisciplinary team of Mass General Brigham Heart experts, Matt survived and has made a remarkable recovery.

"So many people—vascular medicine and advanced heart failure cardiologists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, intensivists, nurses, and other staff—came together to make this happen," said Kim Insua de la Cruz, MD, section chief of aortic surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "If just one piece had been missing, Matt's outcome might have been different."

'Hit me like 10 tons of bricks'

It seemed like a typical day for Matt. He got his kids ready for school, and Kristi took them to the bus stop. Suddenly, he experienced a dramatic onset of symptoms.

"The pain in my chest and back hit me like 10 tons of bricks," he said. "It laid me out, and I knew something wasn't right."

Kristi found Matt lying on their bed. His skin was gray. A former paramedic, she sprang into action and called an ambulance to take Matt to the local emergency room (ER).

In the ER, Matt's condition rapidly got worse. He lost the ability to breathe on his own and was placed on a ventilator. An echocardiogram found a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, causing blood to rush into the walls of the artery and disrupt blood flow to his organs.

After two weeks, Matt finally started making progress.

"Every single day, he did a little bit more," Kristi said. "One day, he could move his fingers. The next day, it was his wrist. Then his elbow. Everyone focused on these small daily wins, which were huge steps in terms of his overall recovery."

Dr. de la Cruz's personal touch was a comfort for Kristi throughout Matt's hospital stay.

"What an incredible human. His warmth and compassion shine through, and he's able to speak to you in a manner you can understand," Kristi said. "He gave me his cell phone number, and we'd text and talk multiple times each day. In that first month, I talked more with Dr. de la Cruz than with my own family."

Matt's strength gradually returned until he was ready to start the next phase of his recovery: rehabilitation.

Physical and occupational therapy provide a boost

Matt stayed at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge for one month under the care of William J. Reilly, MS, OTR/L, director of inpatient rehabilitation; physical therapist Christina Lopez, PT, DPT; and occupational therapist Florence Cui, OT.

The first major hurdle was stabilizing Matt's blood pressure, which dropped sharply whenever he sat up. His care team at Spaulding tinkered with various solutions, such as changing his medications and using compression tights. Within two weeks, he took his first steps.

"Physical therapy and occupational therapy at Spaulding were amazing," Matt said. "I started with a walker, and then I got stronger and could walk on my own."

"The therapists there were incredible beyond words," Kristi added.

Matt returned home just over two months after falling ill, eager to resume activities, especially attending his children's sporting events. He took it slow at first, building in time for plenty of rest, but gradually added more to his plate.

"I'm still not completely back to normal," Matt said. "I tire quickly, but I'm getting better every day. Stairs used to be more of a challenge, but now I go up and down them with no thought at all."

Matt, who suffered no cognitive or neurological issues due to his ordeal, is back at his job at Boston Children's Hospital. Besides doing cardiac rehabilitation twice a week at Mass General Brigham, he periodically sees Dr. de la Cruz and other specialists to confirm he's staying on track.

"I feel pretty good about where I'm at," Matt said. "There are still lingering questions and uncertainties, but I'll control what I can, try to accept what I can't and just live my life. I acknowledge the hardness of the situation, take a deep breath and go forward one step at a time."