Women's Heart Health: Lives Restored
with New Techniques
Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Erin Prendergast*, a professional opera singer,
was enjoying a relaxing afternoon at home when suddenly,
feelings of nausea and lightheadedness overcame her.
“I was very winded and couldn’t imagine
what was causing these symptoms,” said Erin. Luckily,
her husband worked from home that day and immediately
called emergency personnel. Test results showed that
Erin had suffered from an irregular, rapid heartbeat
known as atrial fibrillation (A-fib).
Fearful of another attack, especially during a performance,
Erin visited several doctors and tried five different
medications, all of which failed and left her very
tired. She was referred to Edward
Gerstenfeld, MD,
a cardiologist specializing in abnormal heart rhythms
at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania, who performed a
groundbreaking, minimally invasive procedure in the
laboratory called ablation therapy. “Our team
successfully mapped out the triggers causing Erin’s
A-fib and delivered an electrical current through a
small tube to these locations to deactivate her abnormal
electrical tissue.”
Erin noted, “I have resumed my lifestyle completely
and am symptom-free. It’s wonderful to be able
to sing without worry and without having to take medications
daily.”
Hole in the Heart Repaired with Robotic Cardiac
Surgery
Ann Davis*, a 23 year old newlywed, always complained
about being tired, even at rest, but not until experiencing
heart palpitations two years ago was she prompted to
visit her doctor. A series of visits to specialists
followed, without success. One doctor believed that
Ann was suffering from pulmonary hypertension and suggested
a lung transplant, but her cardiologist had ordered
specialized tests, which indicated that she had been
born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), a hole located
in the wall separating the two upper chambers of the
heart. Ann’s condition had been creating extra
and unnecessary work for her heart, which explained
her constant fatigue.
Ann was referred to interventional cardiologist
Howard Herrmann, MD at Penn Cardiac Care at the
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania, an expert in
closing holes in the heart, including ASDs and
other small, flap-like defects called patent foramen
ovale (PFO). He performs this non-surgical, minimally
invasive procedure in the catheterization laboratory
using umbrella-like devices. “During the
procedure, I noticed that Ann had several holes,
whose size, number and location prohibited closure
by device. Fortunately Penn was able to offer
her another option to traditional surgery.”
Dr. Hermann referred Ann to Y.
Joseph Woo, MD, a Penn heart surgeon specializing
in robotic heart surgery. “We successfully
repaired Ann’s heart using a robotic system,
which allows operating through a tiny, well-hidden
incision along the side of the chest.” Within
just weeks of her surgery, Ann was feeling great
and had begun walking her dog around the block,
something she had been afraid to do earlier.
*Patients' names have been changed to protect privacy.
|
