Thursday Morning Medical Update:Living with Chronic Heart Problems from Birth

Описание: Micky Foos, cardiac patient
• Micky was born with heart condition called tautology, which involves four different heart issues. She had her first cardiac surgery at 6 months.
• She says she had a pretty normal childhood growing up but did have problems keeping up with other kids during physical activities.
• In 2018 while in college, she had six ablations to repair the bottom chambers of the heart, which beat before they should, and received a defibrillator that ultimately saved her life.
• During her senior year of college, her friends found her on a garage floor and took her to the ER. She had felt the defibrillator go off in her chest and collapsed.
• Micky also has a chronic GI condition and is seeing a GI specialist at the health system now.
• Now 25, Micky is doing well and is getting the care she needs to live a normal life.

Dawn Foos, Micky’s mother
• Initially, she didn't know there were problems with Micky’s heart because, at birth, Micky had a surgically repaired GI issue, which doctors discovered in the NICU.
• The mental aspect is very tough for the family as they watched Micky’s struggle as a baby into a chronic condition as an adult.

Dr. Matt Lippman, cardiologist, The University of Kansas Health System
• Micky has the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease.
• Features include a ventricular septal defect (a hole in the bottom chambers of the heart), right ventricular hypertrophy and an obstruction between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Also, the aorta “overrides,” meaning it's moved more toward the right ventricle.
• Most patients require surgical repair before they turn 1-year-old.
• Dr. Lippman considers it detective work dealing with adult congenital cardiology, incorporating the patient’s history.
• He loves to develop a rapport with patients to answer their questions.