Kriss Abney pursues passion in cardiovascular testing

By Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Indianapolis Suburban Region

Kriss Abney, a former juvenile probation officer and auto industry worker, pursued his passion for healthcare by becoming a cardiovascular technician at IU Health Saxony.

Kriss Abney has always had an interest in how the human body works. He thinks it began when he was an athlete in school.

However, he followed different career paths early in his adult life, in juvenile probation and then the auto industry.

Eventually, he decided to go back to college and get a degree in healthcare. Now, he is a cardiovascular technician at IU Health Saxony.

“I came to IU Health, and they allowed me to get training on all facets of cardiovascular testing,” he says. “I’m very thankful for that.”

One of the tests Abney performs is called a tilt table test, a diagnostic procedure that helps determine the cause of unexplained fainting or syncope. Syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure.

For Elliot Packard, his doctor ordered a tilt test because Packard becomes dizzy when he lies down at night. He suffers from late-stage Lyme disease. It’s a bacterial infection that can cause a range of physical and mental symptoms. Packard experiences a wide variety of symptoms, primarily presenting in his joints, muscles and nerves. However, some of his symptoms appear cardiovascular in nature as well.

During a tilt table test, a patient lies on a special table with safety belts and a footrest while connected to blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors. The table is then raised to a vertical angle of 60–80 degrees to simulate standing up. The test records the patient's heart rate, heart rhythm and blood pressure as the table tilts at different angles. Abney monitors those readings throughout the test.

“Kriss explained the steps of the test before we started,” Packard says. “If I was uncomfortable or had a strange reaction, he listened to me and made sure I was ok at every point.”

For Abney, no matter what test he is performing, his primary focus is on helping people.

"That’s where it’s at. That’s the rewarding career,” he says. "It’s never too late to pursue your dreams and do what you want to do.”

Learn more about IU Health’s heart and vascular care or find a cardiologist near you by visiting iuhealth.org/heart.