When she was only 45, Maggie Thiesen, a Calgary mother of four, developed congestive heart failure, a condition whereby the heart becomes too weak to efficiently pump blood to other organs, causing swelling in the tissues. Over the next three years, her condition got progressively worse, to the point where she couldn't walk more than two blocks without huffing and puffing. Maggie was headed for the heart transplant waiting list, but in January 2008, she became the first Canadian patient to receive the HeartNet, an experimental device that would help her ailing heart pump properly. The device is just one of many recent, lifesaving breakthroughs in cardiovascular research. Canadian Living asked a number of noted cardiovascular specialists from across the country about this and other key advances.
Q: More than 500,000 Canadians have congestive heart failure. How does the HeartNet stop or slow progression of the disease?
A: The device is an expandable nickel titanium net that puts gentle pressure on the heart, causing it to shrink over time. "The goal is for the heart to get smaller and stronger," enabling it to pump blood more efficiently, says Dr. Debra Isaac of the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, where Maggie’s operation took place.
The concept of wrapping a device around the heart to restrain growth isn't new, but previous efforts have been hampered by the fact that they involved major open-heart surgery. This procedure, in which the device is inserted through a small incision between the ribs under the left breast, is minimally invasive and can be tolerated by patients with very sick hearts. "Putting on the device after we make the incision takes only 20 minutes," says Isaac. "Our patients recover so well they are out of hospital in three days."
By preventing progression to endstage heart failure, the HeartNet could dramatically reduce the need for heart transplants. That's what happened to Maggie. Since the operation, her condition has improved significantly. She can now walk her dog for a half an hour without feeling short of breath. "I have more energy and want to do more," she says. "If I do things in moderation, I feel great."
Isaac is leading the Canadian arm of an international clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of the device against conventional drug therapies. At least 50 patients will be enrolled in centres in Montreal, Toronto, London, Ont., Calgary and Vancouver. "It’s very satisfying to be involved on the cutting edge of a new treatment that could turn things around for these patients," says Isaac.
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