Doctors: 13 minutes of CPR by coworkers, first responders saved a man’s life

Doctors: 13 minutes of CPR by coworkers, first responders saved a man’s life
University Medical Center doctors are praising the work of a man’s coworkers and first responders for giving CPR for 13 minutes straight, ultimately bringing him back from the dead and saving his life.

“I’m very, very thankful. I’m very blessed and thankful that I work with good people that thought enough to save me,” said Dan Oberlander.

The Las Vegas Valley native works in the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. On June 15, doctors say he suffered cardiac arrest and a heart attack.

“He was dead. The odds of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, especially if it’s prolonged, is extremely low. What saved his life was high quality CPR,” said Dr. Colonel Jeremy Kilburn, M.D., a pulmonary critical care physician. He said its crucial for bystanders to not only get proper training in life-saving techniques, but to continue CPR until paramedics arrive.

“When the heart’s not pumping, the brain can start to get deprived of oxygen and nutrients pretty quickly. So what CPR does is it mimics the heart circulation to make sure that the brain is getting blood flow, exchanging gases. CPR is critical,” Colonel Kilburn said.

Paramedics rushed Oberlander to UMC. “Without any further delay, we took him to the cath lab, open the blocked artery and did the necessary supportive measures. And thankfully, he came around and got his consciousness back. We were able to get him out of the ventilator machine,” said Dr. Chowdhury Ahsan, chief of Cardiology at UMC.

“Ironic thing is that my wife actually teach us CPR. I think everyone should take the opportunity and get a CPR class,” Oberlander said.

Oberlander was released from the hospital. Doctors will continue to work with him to improve his heart health and lifestyle, to prevent another incident.