Best Medicine Matters Fall 2009 - Mount Sinai Hospital

Baby’s
Heart
Repaired
Before
Birth
Dr. Ryan describes the procedure:
“Under ultrasound guidance, we
inserted a needle into the left ventricle
of the baby’s heart and passed a guide
wire and balloon through the narrowed
aortic heart valve, and infl ated the
balloon to open the valve.”
“This intervention was minimally
invasive for the mother and lifesaving for
the baby,” says Dr. Ryan. “Océane’s heart
condition improved almost immediately.”
Océane McKenzie
Vicki McKenzie knows a lot about the
human heart. “I know the valves, the
numbers, the gradients. I would never
have known that a year ago,” she says.
A year ago, McKenzie hadn’t heard the
words that would send her and husband
Ian on an incredible medical journey. “They
Dr. Greg Ryan with Océane McKenzie
said, ‘Your baby has a very sick heart.’” An
ultrasound in Ottawa had revealed that
the valve from her baby’s left ventricle
was severely narrowed. Untreated,
this would lead to a shrunken, scarred
ventricle which would require several
major surgeries to enable baby Océane
to survive and which would drastically
reduce her chances for a normal lifespan.
Three days later, the McKenzies were in
Toronto seeing Dr. Greg Ryan, head of
the Fetal Medicine Unit at Mount Sinai,
and Dr. Edgar Jaeggi, head of the Fetal
Cardiac Program at SickKids. The team
proposed an experimental in-utero
surgical procedure that had never been
successfully carried out in Canada.
“The team were willing to try something
they had never done before to save our
child. It really touches our hearts,” said Vicki.
“What they did in-utero saved her,”
says Vicki. At four months old, Océane
is adored by her brothers, Gavin, 7 and
Owen, 4. She weighs nine pounds and
is doing very well. She is living up to her
name — inspired by the Pacifi c Ocean.
“We named her just before the
procedure,” says Vicki. “The ocean is
deep, strong, stubborn and a miracle on
its own — just like our little girl.”
Donor Role in
Medical First
At a press conference announcing
the successful procedure, Dr.
Greg Ryan said the Philips IU22
ultrasound machines used to
diagnose Océane’s condition
and for the procedure had been
provided by donors.
“These donors are very happy
that their gifts have made such
a tangible difference to this little
girl,” said Dr. Ryan.
“But the remainder of our
ultrasound machines are ageing
models, which urgently need to
be replaced,” he added. “Only
with the best equipment can we
help our tiny unborn patients,
right from the start.”