Pre-Operative Testing a Life Saver for Couple Undergoing Heart Surgery

Husband and wife Gary and Gayle Hausken of Newark have spent the last 52 years together…working, raising a family and enjoying their retirement on their five-acre property in rural Kendall County. 

Earlier this summer, they discovered they shared something else: heart disease. 

Within two weeks of each other, Gayle, 72, and then Gary, 73, underwent open-heart surgery at the Midwest Institute for Heart at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox by the same cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Allison Beckett. They even recuperated in the same room on the hospital’s cardiovascular unit. 

Today, they’re feeling healthier and stronger than ever, but their story is a textbook example of why paying attention to symptoms matters. 

Pre-Op Testing Critical

If you’ve ever wondered if pre-operative health screening and clearance are really necessary before an elective – or any other type of – surgery, Gayle offers a resounding “yes!” 

Earlier this year, Gayle was scheduled to have knee surgery when she started experiencing shortness of breath. A heart test at another hospital detected serious coronary artery blockages, and she was immediately referred to Silver Cross. 

On May 23, Dr. Beckett, who performed lifesaving coronary artery bypass graft surgery on Gayle, praised her for acting quickly when her symptoms first appeared – before the blockages caused heart damage.

“Often, women especially overlook their symptoms, which may not stand out,” she said. “Maybe a shoulder hurts or there is neck pain, or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).” 

In Good Hands

Although Gayle and Gary live 40+ miles from New Lenox, they were familiar with Silver Cross, after having had other surgical procedures there in the 1990s and early 2020. 

“I knew I was going to be in good hands,” Gayle said. From the time she arrived at 5 a.m. until her surgery, “Everything was very smooth.” 

Gary said the entire surgical team’s professionalism immediately put him at ease. “I knew she was going to come out of it with no problems,” he said. “Plus, she was in pretty good shape going in.” 

After five days at Silver Cross, Gayle, who felt stronger than before, was released, and they drove back home, with Gary intending to be her primary caregiver as she recuperated. 

Change in Plans

Three days into that plan, Gary was gardening when he felt his left arm go numb and a slight pain in his chest. It went away in a few minutes, so he didn’t think much of it…until later that evening when he was walking the family dog, who sped up when he spied a rabbit. 

“I was running a little to keep up, and the chest pain and the arm numbness came back,” Gary said. “I thought, ‘I’d better get this checked out.’” 

Gayle immediately called her nearby son and daughter, who took him to the closest hospital, where doctors found a problem with a stent he had implanted 10 years earlier. Just like his wife before him, Gary was sent to Silver Cross. 

A Surprise Encounter with the Same Heart Surgeon

Gary was scheduled for bypass surgery on June 10, coincidentally the very same day as Gayle’s post-operative checkup with Dr. Beckett. 

“I saw Gayle in the room with her husband, the same room she had been in when she was here for surgery!” Dr. Beckett said. “I said, ‘Wait, you were just here for your wife’s surgery. What happened?” 

Gayle remembers a lot of heads turning among staff on the cardiac floor when her husband was being wheeled in for surgery that day. 

“They said, ‘We’ll get you through your post-op visit quick so you can get back down to your husband before he gets out of surgery,” she said. “It really was kind of funny.” 

But by then, she knew the kind of care her husband would have, the very same she had when Dr. Beckett performed her bypass procedure just over two weeks before. 

Gary’s bypass surgery, like Gayle’s, went smoothly. He had very little pain after surgery. “I didn’t even feel like I had surgery,” he said. 

“They’re such a caring family,” Dr. Beckett added. “They were so cute together.” 

Two months after their surgeries, the husband/wife heart team are doing great and enjoying cardiac rehabilitation together. They look forward to gardening again and driving their ’64 Bonneville and ’64 Corvette to car shows before the season ends. 

Gary’s also eager to get back on the golf course. Both praised the exceptional care they received from Dr. Beckett and from Silver Cross. 

“You don’t want to go anywhere else,” Gary said. “They are so caring. Gayle and I had just excellent care.” 

Get Checked Before Surgery

While Gayle initially planned to have a simple knee procedure last May, she paid attention to troubling symptoms and underwent important health tests first that very possibly saved her life. 

If you or a loved one has a scheduled surgery in the near future, talk to your doctor and schedule a pre-op evaluation at Silver Cross to identify potential health risks and complications. 

For more information or for a referral to a heart specialist on staff at Silver Cross, visit silvercross.org.