Cart Wheels - Fall 2012 - Kosair Children's Hospital

heart valve
heart surgery
In 2003 Austin and his family moved to Bowling Green,
Ky., where luckily he was not very far from Dr. Leahy and the
experts at the Congenital Heart Center at Kosair Children’s
Hospital, who also care for patients at a clinic in Bowling
Green.
“The scar tissue from his open-heart surgeries caused Austin
to develop lung disease and suffer a stroke,” Tamara said.
“When we heard about the Melody heart valve, we were so
excited and relieved that he may never need another open-heart
surgery.”
“The Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve, or Melody
valve, is a new alternative to traditional artificial heart valves
for patients with congenital heart disease and failing artificial
pulmonary valves,” Dr. Leahy said. “What’s exciting is it is
inserted using a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure.”
The catheter-based procedure
is performed in the
Kosair Children’s Hospital
cardiac catheterization lab.
The valve is mounted to
a balloon on a catheter,
inserted through a
vein in the leg, and
then threaded up
to the heart to be put into place. The patient is asleep for the
procedure and wakes up virtually pain-free with just a tiny
incision in the leg.
“Through minimally invasive techniques and avoiding
open-heart surgery, patients have a shorter hospital stay, less
pain and a much quicker overall recovery,” Dr. Leahy said.
“It means kids get back to being kids faster.”
Austin received his Melody valve in March. He spent the
night in the hospital for observation but, according to his mom,
was “raring to go.”
“He came home with no medications — not even pain
medication — just aspirin,” Tamara said. “Since getting the
Melody valve he has more energy and says he feels better.”
Though Austin is mentally limited due to complications of
his heart condition, he works at a local restaurant and, like just
about every other 20-year-old young man, loves playing Xbox.
Austin has checkups with Dr. Leahy a few times a year. Since
heart valves do wear out over a lifetime, it’s possible Austin may
need another valve replacement, but it’s a relief to know it will
be through a tiny incision in his leg instead of a large incision
in his chest.
–Jennifer Reynolds
Singing the praises of the
Melody heart valve
Kosair Children’s Hospital is the only
hospital in Kentucky offering the Melody
valve procedure, which also can be
implanted in adults with heart valve
disorders. Dr. Leahy and his colleague
Edward Kim, M.D., director of the cardiac
catheterization lab at Kosair Children’s
Hospital and assistant professor of
pediatric cardiology at the University
of Louisville, are the only two pediatric
cardiologists in Kentucky performing the
procedure.
Visit KosairChildrens.com/BraveHearts
for information on supporting children
like Austin.
Dean Lavenson Photo
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