Archive for cardiac surgery
Experience and innovation create a safer type of heart surgery
The Eureka moment came the day before heart surgery. Easton Schlein wasn’t an ideal candidate for a full-scale surgical repair of an underdeveloped left ventricle. But his cardiac surgeons weren’t satisfied that they instead had to use the Fontan procedure, the only other option for that condition, but one associated with long-term liver complications. Reviewing ... Read More about Experience and innovation create a safer type of heart surgery
Treatment for a complex congenital heart defect gives Alyvia ‘endless energy’
She may be just 3 years old, but Alyvia Parker is already making a difference for other kids with congenital heart defects (CHD). This month, she was a guest of honor at Gulfport City Hall, where, thanks to her and her mom’s advocacy, their hometown lawmakers proclaimed it Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. The two also ... Read More about Treatment for a complex congenital heart defect gives Alyvia ‘endless energy’
Reconstructing a chest wall, one virtual step at a time
It takes a village of clinicians and engineers to reconstruct a chest wall. It also takes a lot of 3D modeling. A young girl needed to have her chest wall restructured to stop life-threatening airway obstruction. To ensure the complicated operation would be efficient, Emily Eickhoff, a Boston Children’s biomedical engineer, partnered with a team ... Read More about Reconstructing a chest wall, one virtual step at a time
From Pakistan to Boston: Faiz finally found help for his complex heart condition
Don’t let his shy smile fool you. In his hometown of Lahore, Pakistan, 6-year-old Muhammad Butt is known by the nickname “Faiz the fighter.” Faiz had long defied the predictions of local doctors who said the heart surgery he needed would be complicated and instead advised his parents to enjoy the time they had with ... Read More about From Pakistan to Boston: Faiz finally found help for his complex heart condition
A heart valve that grows along with a child could reduce invasive surgeries
Clinical trials have started for the first prosthetic pulmonary valve replacement that is specifically designed for pediatric patients and can expand over time inside a child’s anatomy. Instead of having invasive replacement surgeries every few years, as is the practice now, a child can have the valve fitted to their individual body size and, if ... Read More about A heart valve that grows along with a child could reduce invasive surgeries
The secret to safer heart surgery lies in modernizing an old technique
Of the many features in the recently-opened Hale Family Building at Boston Children’s, maybe one of the most impactful for patients and clinicians is an innovation that puts a new spin on an old way of conducting perfusion in open-heart surgery. Used in cardiac operating rooms (ORs) until only a few decades ago, wall water systems had ... Read More about The secret to safer heart surgery lies in modernizing an old technique
A new lens on cardiac surgery could help prevent arrhythmia
Sometimes, a change in perspective can lead to a medical breakthrough. A type of microscopy typically used to detect cancer and other diseases has been adapted to reveal the location of unseen conduction tissue around the heart. The Boston Children’s clinician behind this innovation now aims to prove the safety and effectiveness of fiber-optic confocal ... Read More about A new lens on cardiac surgery could help prevent arrhythmia
From South Africa to Boston: Kyleigh’s four-year search for good heart health
Kyleigh Kista had three open-heart surgeries in just the first 18 months of her life. But instead of progressing, her health was rapidly deteriorating by the time she reached 3. Her doctors said there was little else they could do, except make her a candidate for a heart and lung transplant. It was shattering news ... Read More about From South Africa to Boston: Kyleigh’s four-year search for good heart health
“Seeing” the unseen: A way to pinpoint elusive cardiac conduction tissue
When patients with congenital heart issues have an operation, surgeons have to proceed with an “eye of faith” as they work around conduction tissue — a network of cells and electrical signals that control the beating of a heart. Not visible to the naked eye, conduction systems vary person to person, but they’re particularly difficult ... Read More about “Seeing” the unseen: A way to pinpoint elusive cardiac conduction tissue
Wanting to give back, four heart patients now work as heart pros
They belong to a unique group. As children, they needed surgery to repair congenital heart conditions. Rather than being afraid, they instead were curious about the science behind their treatment. What they learned motivated them to discover more and ultimately pursue careers in medicine. Now healthy adults and working for the Benderson Family Heart Center at Boston ... Read More about Wanting to give back, four heart patients now work as heart pros