Be prepared for anything

Jason Richardson celebrated Father’s Day with his girlfriend, Amanda, his daughters and his family. They spent the day riding dirt bikes and cooking out.  It was a great day.  

After they returned home, as Jason was unloading the bikes from his truck, he began to feel feverish, and extremely thirsty. After guzzling a glass of water, his nausea became worse. He rushed to the bathroom and began to vomit. He experienced a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain as his nausea and sweating worsened. He asked Amanda to call 911, and he was rushed to the Genesis Hospital Emergency Department. This call saved his life. 

A surgeon identifies a rare and dangerous situation 

Edmund Kassis, M.D., Fellowship-trained and Board-certified Thoracic Surgeon and Medical Director of Thoracic Surgery at the Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute, was notified of Jason early Monday morning. After examining him and reviewing the CT scan, he quickly diagnosed Jason as having a rupture of the esophagus. The operating room was notified, and Jason was taken to the operating room to repair his life-threatening condition.  

Dr. Kassis drained the fluid and undigested food that escaped from the esophagus and then repaired the ruptured esophagus.  

“Jason suffered from Boerhaave syndrome,” said Dr. Kassis. “It is a rare problem where the esophagus tears. This happens most commonly after severe vomiting. It is a life-threatening condition, and delays in surgical treatment can be fatal.” 

After the surgery, Jason faced a long journey to recovery. He remained in the hospital for most of the summer to make sure the infection was controlled, and he was given nutritional support and time to allow his esophagus to heal. 

“I can’t thank Dr. Kassis and his team enough. They saved my life.” 

“It was hard to be in the hospital and away from my daughters,” said Jason. “I’m grateful for my family and friends for visiting and helping to care for my girls.   

I also appreciate Amanda, my girlfriend, for being by my side more than anyone could have expected.” 

Back to life 

After healing, Jason left the hospital and returned to work as a heavy equipment operator. He also learned his grandfather had suffered from the same thing many years before.  

“I can’t thank Dr. Kassis and his team enough,” said Jason. “They saved my life. They did a wonderful job.” 

“It feels good to return to life,” Jason said. “It sounds cliché, but once the little things are taken from you, you realize how much you missed them. Getting to be a dad. Going to work. I’ve also proposed to Amanda, and thankfully, she said yes. I am excited to start our lives together.”