Postman Returns to Work After Surviving Cardiac Arrest

Yoshitsugi Kobayashi, 54, is a postman who lives in Kyoto, Japan. Although he has a history of heart disease, Yoshitsugi lives an active lifestyle. On January 9, 2019, Yoshitsugi was delivering mail at the University Hospital Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine when he suddenly lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest. Hospital staff began performing CPR and shocked his heart with an automated external defibrillator (AED). Once stabilized, he was sent to the catheterization lab where his physician inserted the Impella 2.5® heart pump to allow his heart to rest. The following day, Yoshitsugi’s heart function recovered and Impella® was weaned and removed. After spending two months in the hospital, he was strong enough to walk home.  

Today, Yoshitsugi continues to deliver mail on a route that includes the University Hospital Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine where he often stops to thank the medical staff who saved his life.