Colleagues help prevent future strokes for Sharp employee

Simon Brice, 35, has worked as a cardiovascular technologist at Sharp Memorial Hospital for over eight years. He considers his team at Sharp family.

His wife of 15 years, Alex, also works at Sharp. The two have a love for nature, enjoying outdoor activities like camping and hiking. Simon also shares the same interests with his Sharp family and once hiked the Catalina Trail with his coworkers.

On Nov. 8, 2024, however, Simon suddenly felt as if he were “drunk on a fishing boat,” trying to put the experience into words. The room was spinning so fast that he began vomiting and collapsed, prompting Alex to call 911.

Simon told the ambulance to take him to the Emergency Department (ED) at Sharp Memorial Hospital. He knew the staff would provide the best care.

Once in the emergency room, Simon couldn’t open his eyes because it was too painful, and his left side was weak. Although he was young, his ED physician suspected that Simon was having a stroke and consulted a neurologist.

After a CT scan, doctors confirmed that Simon was experiencing an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot. He was given tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). This clot-busting medication must be administered to a person within 4.5 hours of the onset of their stroke symptoms to maximize the treatment’s effectiveness and minimize potential damage to the brain.

The treatment was successful, and Simon was transferred to the ICU, where he spent two days.

Unfortunate discovery, fortunate timing

Dr. Ajay Yadlapati, an interventional cardiologist with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital and a colleague of Simon’s, came by his room to see how he was feeling. After hearing Simon’s story, he talked to his neurologist and requested further testing. Dr. Yadlapati ordered an echocardiogram, which revealed a large patent foramen ovale (PFO) in his heart.

A PFO is a small hole between the upper and lower chambers of the heart that usually closes shortly after birth. However, in about 30% of people with a PFO, it remains open. Most people with a PFO have no symptoms and may not even know they have it, but a PFO can increase the risk of a stroke if a blood clot travels through the opening to the brain.

“I’d just gotten back from camping along the Colorado River,” says Simon. “Fortunately, the stroke didn’t happen when I was in the middle of nowhere without access to immediate treatment.”

Keeping it in the family

Dr. Yadlapati performed the procedure to close Simon’s PFO in December 2024. Closing a PFO is a minimally invasive procedure performed under conscious sedation in a cardiac catheterization lab. During the procedure, a small device is placed through a vein in the groin to close the PFO, significantly reducing the risk of future strokes and transient ischemic attacks, also known as “mini-strokes.”.

“Simon is a colleague and great worker,” says Dr. Yadlapati. “He was the perfect candidate for this procedure, which will minimize his risk for future strokes.”

Simon was given the opportunity to undergo the procedure at a different hospital. However, he chose to stay at Sharp Memorial because he knows the staff, which made him feel more comfortable about the procedure. What’s more, Dr. Yadlapati suggested that Simon select his team at the Sharp Memorial Cardiac Catheterization Lab, or “Cath Lab,” ensuring that Simon was surrounded by people he trusted — his work family.

“They are high-caliber individuals and are the best,” says Simon. “I didn’t want to take my health care anywhere else.”

Breathing easy

Since having PFO surgery, Simon says he can breathe better and exercise more easily. Before, Simon experienced shortness of breath after working out, especially when hiking at higher elevations. He assumed it was because he was out of shape, not realizing the PFO was affecting his quality of life.

“It takes just a few minutes to save your life,” says Simon. “I’m grateful to work with such an incredible team at Sharp who took care of me.”

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