For American Heart Month, Denver7 is highlighting the importance of regular physicals and check-ups with a doctor as that may have been the key to saving one Wheat Ridge father's life.Michael Marcoux, born and raised in Wheat Ri dge, and a 1993 Air Force Academy graduate, has spent most of his life in Colorado. He has a passion for physical fitness. He regularly exercise and even trains for Spartan Races with his son. During an annual physical, a CT scan revealed an ascending aortic aneurysm, or a ballooning of the aorta that can rupture with catastrophic results.It shows that even the healthiest of people can have unseen ailments. I believe, had I not known about it or not acted upon it, five years down the road I would have been leaving my wife and five kids without a father, Marcoux said.Dr. Jason Shofnos, director of cardiovascular surgery at HCA HealthONE in Denver, said Marcouxs aorta measured near 4.8 centimeters on imaging and was about 5 centimeters when measured in the operating room. A normal aorta in that area is roughly 3 centimeters.Aneurysms are asymptomatic until theyre not, Shofnos said. When theres a frank rupture of this area, its nearly 100 percent fatal.Marcouxs condition was linked to a bicuspid aortic valve, a two-leaflet valve present in about 3% of people that can accelerate flow and lead to calcium buildup and a higher chance of aneurysms. Shofnos said bicuspid valves, rather than the typical three-leaflet valve, run in families and that people should consider meeting with a cardiovascular specialist if they have a family history of heart issues. Surgeons removed the enlarged section of Marcouxs aorta and replaced it with a Dacron graft, a woven polyester tube commonly used in these repairs. Shofnos said elective repairs are safer when patients are in good shape, and modern risks for many open-heart cases are low. He expects Marcous to return to his prior activity level by the end of a roughly three-month recovery period.Marcoux and his wife said their Catholic faith, family support and confidence in the medical team helped carry them through the decision to have open-heart surgery. He urges others with a family history of heart problems to get screened. A routine check-up may have saved a Wheat Ridge father's lifeNumber one, understand it, Marcoux said. Number two, get it looked at, whether that's a scan, whether that's an ultrasound. But talking to cardiac doctors is very advisable. ...read more read less