A Walk in the Park
The cardiology team at St. Mary Medical Center goes above and beyond to help patients like George Fanslau return to exercising and other favorite activities after cardiac events.
by Matt Cosentino

By George Fanslau’s estimate, his legs have carried him the equivalent of four trips around the globe—running, jogging, and powerwalking—thanks to a hobby he has pursued for more than 65 years. Now, at age 80, he’s working on his fifth. And he has the cardiology team at St. Mary Medical Center to thank for it.
 
Fanslau, a Richboro resident, now drives a school bus after retiring from a career in the computer industry. He’s also a longtime regular at Tyler Park in Bucks County, where he exercises on the trails almost every day. Several years ago, he began experiencing brief episodes of chest discomfort every few weeks, sometimes at the start of his jogs and other times while sitting at his computer. His primary care physician advised him to see a specialist. Fanslau immediately thought of Frank Ammaturo, M.D., a clinical cardiologist with Cardiology Langhorne at St. Mary Medical Center, because his wife had previously received excellent care from Dr. Ammaturo.
 
Fanslau was brought in right away for a stress test, which required him to run at different speeds and incline levels on a treadmill. The results showed some abnormalities, so Dr. Ammaturo referred him to one of his partners for a cardiac catheterization. That procedure confirmed three severe blockages, and Fanslau underwent bypass surgery with Todd Nixon, M.D., a few days later.
 
“Everything went well,” Fanslau says of his experience in December 2022. “The surgery was on a Friday, and I was home on Tuesday, walking around and going up steps. I started walking around the block, and within six weeks I was back driving a bus and walking at Tyler Park, before slowly getting back to powerwalking and jogging. Within two months, it was like nothing had ever happened.
 
“I made a real quick recovery,” he continues. “I’m grateful to everyone associated with St. Mary Medical Center, specifically Dr. Ammaturo and Dr. Nixon.”
 
Fanslau continues to see Dr. Ammaturo for regular follow-ups, and he says those visits are something he actually looks forward to. He appreciates the doctor’s friendly, down-to-earth manner and the fact that Dr. Ammaturo personally takes the time to call with test results or to answer questions. When it came time to schedule surgery, he explored all of his options, including a hospital in Center City. In the end, the confidence he had in Dr. Nixon’s expertise and the comfort of receiving care close to home made St. Mary Medical Center the right choice for him. 
 
“I elected to stay with [Dr. Nixon] and Dr. Ammaturo, and everything went well—and here I am,” he adds. “I feel pretty good for my age.”
 
That kind of collaboration among specialists, as well as positive outcomes like Fanslau’s, is quite common at St. Mary, whether a patient requires a stent, bypass surgery, or the implantation of a heart device.
 
“Cardiology is a team sport, and we have a lot of members of the team: clinical cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and cardiac surgeons,” Dr. Ammaturo says. “We’re all participating, doing what’s right for the patient, and getting them to the person they need to see so we can get treatment done in a timely manner.”
 
While Fanslau experienced classic, exercise-induced chest pain, Dr. Ammaturo explains that other patients may have symptoms such as neck, jaw, or arm pain; shortness of breath; cold sweats; or severe nausea. He adds that his team is seeing more younger people with poor cardiovascular health, including individuals in their 40s.
 
“Early detection is the best way to treat heart disease,” Dr. Ammaturo says. “If someone is concerned about their heart, if they have a family history, if they have high cholesterol, I would definitely encourage them to come in for an evaluation. We have tests like a calcium score that can uncover heart disease. If their score is high, then we know to keep a closer eye on them and be more aggressive with our prevention recommendations.”
 
Fanslau has returned to his usual regimen of 20 to 25 miles per week. He also still mows his own lawn and is handy around the house. He and his wife, Anne, enjoy spending time with their two adult children and two grandchildren.
 
For Dr. Ammaturo, who has built a strong relationship with the Fanslau family, seeing patients thrive after treatment remains one of the most rewarding parts of his work. 
 
“The goal is to get them back to living their life the way they want to,” he says. “George is not the typical 80-year-old. The typical 80-year-old is retired and more relaxed, but George is exercising and working. He is showing that age is just a number, and he’s pushing himself at a high level. He just needed a quick pit stop with us, and we got him back on the track.”
 
Cardiology Langhorne
1203 Langhorne-Newtown Road
St. Clare Building, Suite 320
Langhorne, PA 19047
(215) 750-7818
www.trinityhealthma.org
 
Photo by Alison Dunlap
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, March 2026.
 

View PDF Version