Breathing Easy Again After Pulmonary Embolism: Brent’s Story

Brent Fontenot, 69, of Broussard, Louisiana, began feeling short of breath in January. His breathing continued to worsen to the degree that he was unable to continue his regular activities. “I couldn’t breathe to tie my shoe,” he recalled. “I was huffing and puffing, and I couldn’t walk far.” In April, his symptoms prompted him to visit his primary care doctor, who sent him to the emergency room at Opelousas General Health System for an evaluation. He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs (also known as a pulmonary embolism or PE) and was admitted for treatment.

Brent’s pulmonary embolism originated as a blood clot in a vein in his leg (also known as a deep venous thrombosis or DVT) which traveled through his bloodstream to his lungs. Symptoms of a DVT include extremity swelling, pain/tenderness, or skin discoloration.

The following day, Dr. David Homan with Cardiovascular Institute of the South, explained to Brent that he may benefit from a minimally-invasive procedure called a pulmonary thrombectomy during which a tube is inserted into the lung(s) and the blood clot is vacuumed out. “We’ve been offering this to patients at OGH since 2019 and it has greatly improved our ability to help appropriately selected symptomatic PE patients,” said Dr. Homan. After a discussion, Brent decided to proceed. During the procedure, he immediately appreciated a significant improvement in his breathing. “It was like instant relief! I could breathe again!” he said. Brent was amazed by the procedure. “It really cleared it! It worked for me, and I would recommend this procedure to anyone.” Brent was discharged home the following day and resumed reasonable activities without any issue. “It helped so drastically, so quickly,” explained Brent.

Months after the procedure, Brent is still thriving and says the care he received from CIS and Opelousas General Health System was exceptional. “They did an awesome job, and they were all friendly and nice. I thank the whole group because they took good care of me.”

He is especially thankful to Dr. Homan, who not only provided expert care, but also demonstrated genuine concern for him. “He knows how to talk to patients. You can tell he really cares about his patients in the way he talks and shows concern,” he said.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to care for Mr. Fontenot,” said Dr. Homan. “The support we receive from OGH to provide state-of-the-art procedures such as pulmonary thrombectomy is fantastic.” If you are having breathing difficulty, please speak with your doctor to make sure it is not being caused by a pulmonary embolism. Learn more about pulmonary embolism in this episode of The Cardiovascular Pulse podcast.