Two delicate heart operations performed over 20 years apart, the last of which is the result of the collaboration between the Policlinico San Pietro in Bergamo and the IRCCS Policlinico San Donato (in the Milanese hinterland): thus the 25-year-old from Bergamo Laura (the name is fictional) was saved from a possible stroke or cerebral hemorrhage.
Born with a severe and rare congenital heart disease, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect, the young girl had undergone a first operation when she was only four years old: it was the only way to allow her to survive, given that, due to an anomaly in the development of the heart, the aorta and artery in her body pulmonary had an “inverted” origin. The first arose from the right ventricle and the second from the left ventricle, contrary to the normal cardiac configuration.
This pathology meant that the oxygen entering the lungs was unable to reach the peripheral organs, especially the more delicate ones such as the brain, kidneys and liver.
The only option for her was therefore corrective surgery, which was then followed by the implantation of a pacemaker for rhythm abnormalities. The two operations were successfully carried out 21 years ago: Laura was well and had grown up living a practically normal existence, dedicating herself to her great passions, from travel to sport, starting with horse riding.
Some time ago, however, she started to experience symptoms that made her realize that something was no longer right: she was increasingly short of breath and continually felt tired.
Hence the decision to undergo a check-up at the congenital heart disease clinic of the San Pietro Polyclinic, headed by Paolo Ferrero, pediatric cardiologist and researcher of the Congenital Heart Disease Unit of the IRCCS San Donato Polyclinic directed by Massimo Chessa .
“Laura suffered from a progressive reduction in blood oxygenation, which over time had forced her to interrupt the sporting activity she practiced at a competitive level – explains Ferrero – Even normal daily activities had gradually become more and more tiring, causing her tiredness and breathlessness. Unfortunately it was a complex situation relating to the onset of a complication linked to the initial surgery which had progressively worsened”.
Once this accurate diagnosis was obtained thanks to the in-depth investigations carried out in collaboration with the San Donato Polyclinic, the decision was made to subject the patient to a new surgery.
“If we had not intervened, Laura would have risked very serious complications such as hypoxia (lack of oxygen), stroke or cerebral ischemia – continues the specialist – The delicate operation carried out by the team led by Alessandro Giamberti, director of the Cardiac Surgery Unit of congenital heart disease at the San Donato Polyclinic, led to the reconstruction of normal blood flows with synthetic material inside the heart”.
In this way, “a wide communication that had been created between the right and left side was repaired, due to reduced oxygenation and a high risk of cerebral ischemia – concludes Paolo Ferrero – The postoperative course was regular and the checks Subsequent outpatient clinics confirmed an excellent result.”
Today Laura is back to walking uphill without worry and above all to planning her life and her future.
Since 2021, the collaboration between the San Pietro Polyclinic and the San Donato Polyclinic has made it possible to carry out over 300 visits and to follow an important and growing number of patients from Bergamo with congenital heart disease, both pediatric and adults.
