How doctors saved Arizona man’s life after video of widowmaker heart attack went viral

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AZFamily) — You may remember a video Arizona’s Family first showed you last month: a man in Litchfield Park having a widowmaker heart attack. And it was all caught on his home surveillance camera!

Thankfully, Jeff Goss is healthy now. His wife, Michelle, put the videos on social media to raise awareness about the symptoms you should watch out for. Her three TikToks have nearly 10 million views so far, and the couple has received messages from all over the country thanking them for saving lives.

Jeff is certainly not alone. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds, according to the CDC. So what happens if you have a heart attack and you’re rushed in for surgery?

Arizona’s Family got a rare look at the catheterization laboratory, or cath lab, at Abrazo West in Goodyear. That’s where Jeff was brought in last September.

Jeff and his wife, Michelle, met the cardiologist and doctor who performed Jeff’s surgery. “It’s really amazing,” Michelle said. “It’s not what I thought it was going to look like at all.”

In the cath lab, most procedures are less invasive and urgent, like in Jeff’s case, when he wound up in the ER. “Jeff was in a lot of pain,” said Dr. Ish Singla, who did Jeff’s surgery. “He was anxious. And we brought him from there to cath lab.”

“So the way we do these procedures, we go from the wrist, we put a small tube in the wrist and go up with a catheter and take pics with that X-ray machine,” Singla continued.

An X-ray showed a total blockage in Jeff’s largest artery. The team went through Jeff’s wrist to put in a stent. Less than an hour after Michelle called 911, the surgery was already done.

“So when we go through the wrist the chances of complications are less, the recovery is faster for the patient,” Dr. Singla said.

When it comes to cardiac arrest, Dr. Singla says time is muscle. “The quicker we can come to the cath lab, we can save more heart muscle. And that is why it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of the heart attack,” he added.

Jeff’s initial symptoms were subtle. “You know it took me a long time into it before I realized he was having a heart attack,” Michelle said. “I mean it took a good five to seven minutes before he even said his chest hurt. So I was like wow. There were so many things leading up to it I wish I had known.”

“He was complaining, ‘Hey, I’m not feeling well,” said Dr. Rich Pham, the director of cardiology and cardiac rehab. “And she looked right at him and said, ‘Hey, you’re gray. This is not right. I’m going to call 911.’”

Dr. Pham says staying proactive is key. Thankfully, everything Michelle did brought the couple back to the cath lab for a happy reunion. Jeff now sees Dr. Pham every three months.

According to Dr. Pham, heart attack patients with stents are usually on blood thinners because when a stent is put in, it’s like a roll of chicken wire. It takes about six months for it to grow and become part of the artery, so doctors make sure there are no complications.

Experts say prevention is key, and diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity can all cause the pipes around the artery to be blocked. Here’s more on how to stay heart-healthy.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.