Archive for cardiac surgery
Clara now runs, dances, and sings along to Taylor Swift thanks to a new life-changing heart surgery
The time had finally come. Only two weeks after a transformative heart operation at Boston Children’s, 11-year-old Clara Portnoy stood in a sprinter’s starting position on an open stretch of grass during her school’s field day. Surrounded by classmates and teachers, she was ready to go. Born with a condition in which the structures on ... Read More about Clara now runs, dances, and sings along to Taylor Swift thanks to a new life-changing heart surgery
Jack had a first-of-its-kind surgery with the aim of making it his last
Jack Mangan loves fire trucks. He also loves monster trucks. So you can imagine his excitement about those two things being mashed up as a toy: a fire truck on top of a monster truck. The 4-year-old has an extensive collection of miniature hybrid monster trucks — one has a shark on top; another Scooby-Doo ... Read More about Jack had a first-of-its-kind surgery with the aim of making it his last
Eight years of preparation for a surgical first: a partial heart transplant
Boston Children’s cardiac surgeons have an overriding goal for each patient: If possible, repair their congenital heart defect (CHD) — rather than replace any native heart tissue. Preserving heart tissue often leads to a speedier and more complete recovery and longer-lasting cardiac function. Sometimes, though, a patient’s valve tissue is beyond repair and a bioprosthetic or mechanical replacement valve ... Read More about Eight years of preparation for a surgical first: a partial heart transplant
Ted Williams, chocolate milkshakes, and a pioneering heart team: What Bruce remembers about his heart surgery 65 years later
Bruce Chansky was the star of his neighborhood after he had heart surgery at Boston Children’s. It was 1959, a time when a child having heart surgery wasn’t common — it was newsworthy. Eleven-year-old Bruce was featured in his hometown newspaper, which only furthered his celebrity in Beverly, Massachusetts. Friends, neighbors, and strangers all wanted ... Read More about Ted Williams, chocolate milkshakes, and a pioneering heart team: What Bruce remembers about his heart surgery 65 years later
Healing the heart, mind, and spirit
For most of her life, Siena Tancredi worried about her heart beating too fast. She has long QT syndrome, an inherited condition that affects the heart’s electrical rhythm and can cause fast, erratic heartbeats. From the time she was diagnosed at age 10 and into adulthood, she avoided any situation that would potentially cause her heart ... Read More about Healing the heart, mind, and spirit
Mitochondrial transfer restores heart muscle — but how?
Transferring mitochondria from a patient’s healthy skeletal muscle to damaged, ischemic heart tissue has been shown to restore heart muscle, increase energy production, and improve ventricular function. After pioneering preclinical work by James McCully, PhD, at Boston Children’s Hospital about a decade ago, cardiac surgeons led by Sitaram Emani, MD, have been testing it as ... Read More about Mitochondrial transfer restores heart muscle — but how?
Constant improvements make the Ross procedure a safe aortic valve replacement option
Cardiac surgeons understand that innovation isn’t always about invention. Improving something can be just as transformative. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Boston Children’s cardiac surgery team is seeing lasting positive outcomes in patients after making adjustments over the years to the Ross procedure, a last-option treatment for aortic valve disease that hasn’t always been accepted by ... Read More about Constant improvements make the Ross procedure a safe aortic valve replacement option
A surgeon’s last-minute trip to Sri Lanka reduces children’s wait for needed heart repair
Last year, Dr. Christopher Baird got an offer he couldn’t refuse — something that happens often as he travels the world to demonstrate the heart surgery techniques he has learned and developed at Boston Children’s Hospital. At a heart surgery symposium in India, Dr. Baird had just performed a complex type of aortic valve reconstruction ... Read More about A surgeon’s last-minute trip to Sri Lanka reduces children’s wait for needed heart repair
The people and advancements behind 75 years of Boston Children’s Cardiology
Boston Children’s Department of Cardiology has more than 100 pediatric and adult cardiologists, over 40 clinical fellows learning the routines of heart care in a major hospital, 12 echocardiogram rooms dedicated to testing the function of a child’s heart, and five labs equipped to perform advanced catheterization procedures. Many other numbers could highlight the dedication that the ... Read More about The people and advancements behind 75 years of Boston Children’s Cardiology
After surgery for heart condition tetralogy of Fallot, James is all joy
Warriors come in all shapes and sizes. Some even smile. In the Irvine family, the lead warrior is a happy one: 6-month-old James, whose cheeriness hides the difficult medical journey he had in the first few months of life. “I have been told by many people that James is an inspiration,” says his mom, Heidi. ... Read More about After surgery for heart condition tetralogy of Fallot, James is all joy