Shana Hale, a Brooklyn mother of two and a technology executive, noticed a mild burning sensation in her chest during her daily walks last summer. She could still breathe easily and remained active, making the symptom easy to dismiss. But as the feeling lingered, she knew something was off.

What followed was a chain of decisions shaped by her persistence in being heard and by the commitment of her cardiologist at NYU Langone Heart to push past inconclusive results. The subtle symptom turned out to be a warning sign of a serious blockage in one of her heart’s main arteries and led to lifesaving open-heart surgery at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn.

“I started feeling the discomfort in my chest when I was walking uphill or climbing stairs,” Hale said. “It didn’t feel like asthma. It felt different from anything I’d experienced before. It wasn’t the classic ‘crushing’ chest pain, but it didn’t sit right with me.”

Although she was reassured during a visit to another health system that the symptoms could likely be managed in primary care, Hale trusted her instincts. With a family history of heart disease and already taking blood pressure medication, she sought specialty care. She was referred to Atul Sharma, MD, an interventional cardiologist and director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, by her husband, a longtime patient of Dr. Sharma.

From the start, Dr. Sharma focused on her story: a healthy, highly active 43-year-old who suddenly felt chest discomfort brought on by exertion and relieved by rest.

“Even though Hale is relatively young, that pattern is worrisome, and you can’t ignore it,” said Dr. Sharma. “The story was too concerning to explain away simply.”

Initial testing, including an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a treadmill stress test, did not reveal a clear-cut problem. The heart’s structure appeared normal, and while her EKG showed some changes during exercise, the findings were not dramatically abnormal. For many patients, this is where an evaluation might stop.

Instead, guided by her persistent symptoms and their shared concern, Dr. Sharma and Hale agreed to pursue advanced imaging with a CT coronary scan, producing a three-dimensional image of her heart arteries.

The results were startling. Dr. Sharma saw that there was critical narrowing in the left main coronary artery and that the artery seemed to nearly disappear when contrast was injected, which is consistent with a severe blockage. Further testing in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory confirmed the worst: more than 95 percent of her left main coronary artery was blocked. If the artery closed completely, the likelihood of a fatal heart attack was extremely high.

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death in women, and symptoms are often subtler or atypical compared with those in men, so there was no time to waste. She was admitted immediately, and within days underwent urgent open-heart surgery at NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, where the chief of cardiac surgery, Noritsugu Naito, MD, PhD, performed a bypass using arterial grafts designed for durability and long-term success.

“I was in shock,” Hale said. “I hadn’t even considered open-heart surgery as a possibility. But I also felt this overwhelming sense of gratitude that it had been found in time. It was kismet. I pushed to get this checked, and Dr. Sharma didn’t let it go.”

The surgery was successful. She emerged from the hospital with no permanent damage to her heart muscle and an excellent prognosis.

“I have two young children, 8 and 6. I remember thinking: I’ve been given a second chance. I’m going to see them grow up. It’s impossible not to think about your own mortality after something like this, and how close it came to being taken away.”

Just weeks after surgery, Hale is steadily recovering at home. Her life has undeniably changed, but in many ways it feels richer. Recovery has slowed her pace in a good way, allowing her to be more present. Ordinary moments like sharing a meal, sitting at home, and planning for the future now carry new meaning.

Dr. Sharma expects her to return to a fully active life over the coming months, with no long-term restrictions.

“Medically, her outlook is outstanding,” he said. “The most powerful part of this story is that it started with a very subtle symptom, a patient who listened to her own body, and a care team that refused to stop asking questions until we had an answer.”

Her outcome reinforces the momentum and clinical excellence of NYU Langone Heart in Brooklyn. The open-heart surgery program at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn has been active for just over a year, with around 100 surgeries performed and outstanding patient outcomes, which is a testament to the program bringing world-class cardiac care closer to where patients live.

Just as important as the technology and expertise is the time spent listening.

“For clinicians, the message is simple: Listen carefully to your patients. Their story often points you in the right direction, even when early tests aren’t definitive,” Dr. Sharma said. “For patients, especially women: Trust yourself. If something feels different, even if it seems minor, don’t ignore it and don’t hesitate to seek another opinion.”

Hale’s story demonstrates how a quiet warning sign, a feeling that something just isn’t right, can be the first and only chance to intervene.

NYU Langone Heart Is a Leader in Cardiology and Heart Surgery

Whether you need a plan to prevent heart disease or the latest procedure to improve blood flow to your heart, doctors at NYU Langone Heart provide the best possible care. The team has the nation’s highest success rates for treating heart rhythm disorders, coronary artery disease, valve disease, heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Specialists at locations across New York City, Westchester County, Long Island, and Florida all offer the same high-quality care that makes NYU Langone Health the No.1 hospital in the nation for cardiology, heart, and vascular surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report.