Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth Offers a Novel Approach to Congenital Heart Disease Treatment

Contact: Mary Johnson, (817) 922-7088 or Sunny Drenik, (817) 922-7100
Email: maryjohn@baylorhealth.edu or sunnydr@baylorhealth.edu

(FORT WORTH, Texas, October 8, 2007) - Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth offers a closure device known as an atrial septal occluder. This device is typically used to treat congenital heart disease in children, but recently was put to a whole different use. The atrial septal occluder device was used to close an abnormal communication between the right coronary artery (RCA) and heart chamber right ventricle (RV). The patient was hospitalized due to advanced heart failure and the diagnosis revealed an enlarged heart with extremely depressed heart pumping function (dilated cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure). Detailed testing including heart catheterization, echocardiogram and a CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of gigantic RCA to RV fistula – an abnormal communication between the heart artery and heart chamber.

"The patient was unable to work and was getting very tired and remained short of breath even at rest, despite aggressive medical management," said Vijay Kalaria, M.D., an interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor All Saints Medical Center. "The patient's right coronary artery was massively dilated from years of abnormal blood flow into the right side of the heart with resultant dilation and weakening of the heart muscle."

Because of the damage to the heart muscle, open heart surgery was considered high-risk. Various options were explored and it was elected to attempt to close the RCA-RV fistula via minimally invasive means. The procedure was performed at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in early spring. The repair was challenging due to the large size of abnormal communication, difficult to reach location and need for a secure placement of the device. The fistula was closed successfully using an atrial septal occluder, which is an umbrella-type device made of nickel-titanium alloy collapsed in a tiny tube and delivered across the fistula. The patient was discharged home the next day. At a recent outpatient visit, the patient was already reporting improvement in symptoms.

This is an exciting era in the management of patients with complex cardiac disorders," said Dr. Kalaria. Prior to this procedure, the patient would have persistent abnormal blood flow and a poor prognosis. Using Baylor All Saints Medical Centers' advanced catheterization lab facilities and a collaborative team approach, we were able to treat this patient's complex condition using minimally invasive techniques."

The not-for-profit Baylor All Saints Medical Centers serve more than 100,000 people annually through two hospitals, numerous primary care physician centers and practices, a rehabilitation and fitness center, and a variety of medical specialties. Programs of excellence in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology and women's services form the heart of the hospitals' services. All Saints joined Baylor Health Care System in January 2002. All Saints Health Foundation, a separately incorporated not-for-profit organization, raises and manages charitable funds to support Baylor All Saints Medical Centers. For fiscal year 2006, Baylor Health Care System reported $406 million in community benefit to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System's subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor All Saints Medical Centers or Baylor Health Care System.