The entire ordeal involving the health scare of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel has raised numerous questions throughout the league.
When GM and President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas addressed the media, calling Kindel’s situation a “vasovagal episode,” many of us in the media quickly Googled what that meant.
But now, a renowned medical expert sheds light on the entire situation.
Dr Jay Charania, Interventional Cardiologist at the Royal Columbian Hospital in Vancouver, spoke with Heavy, offering his expert analysis in the situation.
The renowned medical expert described the situation as a “common” situation, but with complex underlying causes.
“The term ‘vasovagal episode’ is a simple term used to describe a very common but physiologically complex reason for someone to faint. It’s the most likely explanation for why people faint in church, young individuals faint at the gym, grooms faint at the altar, or patients faint at the sight of blood or needles.”
Dr Charania went on to explain that this situation is often the result of specific triggers, leading to a perplexing physiological response, such as in the case of Ben Kindel
“When faced with a trigger such as standing quickly, a significant stress, or an intense emotion, the bodies usual response is to increase the heart rate, blood pressure, and strength of each individual heartbeat. However, in some individuals, this sets off a cascade of molecular events that paradoxically results in the opposite happening; the heart rate and blood pressure drop and they do so precipitously. At a time when the body and brain need more blood flow, this contradictory reflex results in less blood flow to the brain and subsequent fainting.”
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Vasovagal Episodes Can Be Frightening
Vasovagal episodes can be terrifying for the person suffering them, and for all of those around them. That was the case with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ben Kindel. Since the medical staff traveling with the team had no real idea what happened, they erred on the side of caution.
And while the situation may be relatively benign, the Penguins did the right thing in dealing with the issue at once.
“Vasovagal episodes can be dramatic and scary for not only the individual themselves but also for those who witness them. The symptoms almost always include lightheadedness, sweating, nausea and looking pale. The loss of consciousness usually lasts for only a few seconds, but fatigue and disorientation can be for several minutes. They are almost always benign and do not always happen when confronted with the same trigger. It is however, a diagnosis primarily made when everything else is ruled out.”
The renowned specialist cited the 1993 episode involving Boston Celtics player Reggie Lewis. The former NBA star suffered a vasovagal episode caused by an underlying heart condition. He was cleared to play, but ended up dying two months later.
A similar situation happened to Bronny James, son of NBA legend LeBron James in 2023.
But as Dr Charania noted, a vasovagal episode is extremely rare as a consequence of an underlying heart condition, and is not likely the case with Ben Kindel.
Penguins Likely Playing It Safe With Ben Kindel
All told, Dr Charania believes the Penguins are not fooling around with Ben Kindel. The expert believes that initial testing was significantly thorough.
“Based on his medical clearance to fly back to Pittsburgh within 48 hours, my assumption is that Ben Kindel’s symptoms were consistent with a vasovagal episode and that preliminary tests including a heart monitor, an ultrasound of the heart, and possibly a cardiac MRI were all normal. I would also assume that he had an EEG and imaging of his brain and blood vessels of the brain to make sure he did not have a seizure; a condition often confused with a vasovagal episode.”
Moving forward, it seems the Penguins placed Ben Kindel on IR so he could undergo extensive testing and rule out any underlying problems that might have gone unnoticed.
“While on injured reserve, he will likely undergo a battery of tests. A heart monitor could be worn for several days or a permanent one could be implanted just under the skin of his chest to make sure his heart rhythm is normal. A number of specialized exercise tests could be conducted to make sure vigorous exercise does not trigger an abnormal heart rhythm. A tilt-table test could demonstrate how his blood pressure and heart rate react to changes in position.”
Dr Charania concluded that if everything turns out normal, there would be no reason for Ben Kindel to miss any more playing time than he has to.
“If these tests do not reveal any abnormalities, I would not expect Kindel to remain on injured reserve for much more than the required seven days.”
So, here’s hoping that this entire situation with Kindel is nothing more than one of those awful health scares that are nothing more than, well, a scare.
Ben Kindel Vasovagal Episode Scare Explained by Medical Expert