Mitch Prust took his heart health seriously, especially after being diagnosed with a heart murmur in 2014 and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2017. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition where the heart muscle becomes too thick and can obstruct blood from exiting the heart.

Mayo Clinic cardiologist Jeffrey Geske, M.D., developed a treatment and monitoring plan for Mitch so they could stay on top of any changes in his health. After some time, Mitch noticed a steep decline in his stamina, and further evaluation led Dr. Geske to recommend an open-heart procedure called septal myectomy. After Mayo Clinic cardiovascular surgeon Hartzell Schaff, M.D., performed the procedure to remove part of the overgrown heart wall, Mitch immediately felt better.

Although Mitch still felt great months later, he had developed a left bundle branch block — a common finding in almost half of patients who undergo septal myectomy — which causes a delay in the pathway of electrical impulses that make the heart beat. Mitch agreed to participate in a study looking for abnormal heart rhythms, which involved having a small device implanted under his skin to continuously record heart rhythm data. Through his participation, Mitch hoped to help others with the same condition. To his surprise, the study also helped him.

After experiencing a strange fall, Mitch reached out to Dr. Geske to see if the device picked up any unusual heart activity around the time of his fall. The loop recorder data showed that Mitch’s heart had stopped beating for 10 seconds.

Mayo Clinic’s remote cardiovascular monitoring technology enabled Mitch and his medical team to catch the first sign of his worsening condition and respond with timely intervention.

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