Cardiologists in the Rio Grande Valley say regular check-ups play a vital role in detecting, managing and preventing heart disease.

In the case of one Mission man, it was a routine check-up that ended up saving his life.

Pedaling, lifting weights, and walking on the treadmill are all part of Randy Dressen's road to recovery from heart surgery.

Late last year, Dressen went to see his doctor for a routine check-up.

"My cholesterol had been just a little high, not too high, but a little high for a while," Dressen said.

Dressen's doctor suggested a coronary artery calcium scan; the results were alarming.

"The results were bad. That I had a lot of blockage. So then they ran some other tests, did two other tests," Dressen said.

Up next was a stent procedure. That's when doctors put in a tiny tube to keep an artery open. But doctors quickly found the issue was even more serious.

"So they took it out, took me back into the room. The surgeon came in and said 'we need to do surgery as soon as possible'," Dressen said.

What began as just a routine check-up turned into a life-saving quadruple bypass.

"Knowing that the church I belong to, Palm Valley, they were there praying for me, my Bible study was praying for me, my friends and family were praying for me. So I knew it would be ok," Dressen said.

Dressen says he had no symptoms.

South Texas Health System Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Carlos Giraldo said symptoms can be subtle, and that's why it's important to pay attention to your body.

"I'm getting short of breath or I'm having these discomforts when I go to do stuff, or my legs hurt when I walk, they ache, they tighten up," Giraldo said.

Giraldo says annual check-ups and testing can reveal a problem, before it sneaks up on you.

"The heart attack victims, we'll talk to them. When's the last time you went to see a doctor? When was the last time you got medical care? They're like, oh, two years ago, three years ago, five years ago. Just because you feel fine, it's important to at least get checked," Giraldo said.

Dressen got checked and he's forever grateful. Now, he's back to doing what he loves, like going to church, walking his dogs, Bud and Sissy, and later this year, he hopes to visit Costa Rica.

All thanks to a routine check-up that gave him a new lease on life.

"I had no clue that this would ever happen to me," Dressen said. "I've told all my friends, go get a scan, go get your arteries checked. Even if you don't feel that bad, go get your arteries checked."

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