Max's Heart

Many people ask us (out of love and concern) about Max's heart condition. Below you will find a detailed breakdown of Max's special heart.

The Discovery

In December 2013, when Max was just 3 months old, we took him to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, AB when he wasn't feeling well. We were brand new parents and we didn't know what else to do! He ended up only having a cold, however a very diligent and careful doctor did a thorough exam on Max and discovered the presence of a heart murmur. Many children have murmurs that go away over time, so none of us were very concerned however we were referred to the cardiology clinic as a precaution.

On January 31, 2013 we attended the cardiology clinic where we were totally blindsided by the discovery that Max has a heart condition and would need surgery as soon as possible. 

The Diagnosis

When a child is born with a left-sided heart defect, there are often several anomalies that occur simultaneously. Due to the reduced or affected blood flow, signs of underdevelopment become apparent on that side of the heart. Here are the 4 major anomalies that Max has been diagnosed with and the status of each one. Please feel free to Google any of these terms to find out more information.

Coarctation of the Aorta ~ STATUS: REPAIRED (see Surgery #1 below)

• A coarctation is a narrowing. Max had a narrow section in his aorta just after the point where the aorta turns to provide blood to the lower torso and legs. This resulted in reduced blood flow and inconsistent blood pressures in his lower limbs. The heart has to work extra hard to build up enough pressure to force blood through the narrow section and therefore the left ventricle of the heart ends up swollen from overworking. 

Subaortic Stenosis or Pediatric Subvalvar Aortic Stenosis ~ STATUS: SURGERY BOOKED (see Surgery #2 below)

• This is a long medical term that basically means that there is a ridge of tissue or obstruction that affects the flow of blood from the left ventricle to the aorta via the aortic valve. The tissue growth creates turbulent blood flow through the valve and therefore things do not flow as smooth as they should. This defect is commonly associated with someone with a coarctation and since Max's coarctation repair, this has been the main focus of the cardiologist's attention. Our cardiologist has been closely watching this defect by taking pictures and measuring the pressures during our routine check-ups. It has been determined that surgery should take place sooner than later and Max will have surgery on December 18, 2014.

Bicuspid Aortic Valve ~ STATUS: BEING MONITORED

• The aortic valve is the gateway from the left ventricle to the aorta. Blood is pumped through this valve, into the aorta and out to the brain, limbs and body. A typical aortic valve is called tricuspid meaning that it has 3 leaflets. When these leaflets open up, it creates a nice big opening for blood to travel. Instead of having 3 independent leaflets, Max only has 2 which means that he has a bicuspid valve and it does not open as wide as it should. In actual fact, he has all 3 leaflets however 2 of them are fused together and function as 1. The concern is that the valve may eventually begin to fail and blood could leak backwards through the aortic valve which is intended to be a 1-way valve only. So far, Max's valve does not leak. The function of the valve is not great and MAY require replacement at some point in time. The cardiologists are hoping that the removal of the subaortic stenosis (mentioned above) will help to increase function. Valve replacements are much more available and easier to perform on an adult and therefore we will continue to monitor this as time goes on. 

Narrow Aortic Arch ~ STATUS: BEING MONITORED

• Like all of the above heart defects, the narrow aortic arch is a result of reduced blood flow through the heart during early stages of development. Although Max's aortic arch appeared underdeveloped at the time of the coarctation repair (mentioned above), it has been closely observed and monitored by the cardiologist. It appears that the coarctation repair has had a positive impact on the aortic arch as it has been growing and developing nicely. This will always be something that is monitored but at this time, it does not appear to require any surgery. 

Surgery #1 - February 7, 2013

Within 5 days of finding out about Max's heart condition, we found ourselves in Edmonton on February 5th to begin the pre-operation preparations. February 6th was a day full of appointments and tests in order to prepare Max and the surgeons for what was to come. On February 7th Max underwent heart surgery to repair the coarctation of the aorta. After recovering in the PICU, Max was moved to the Cardiology Unit of the Stollery Children's Hospital where he continued to heal and recover. Max was discharged from the hospital on February 12th and we were able to return home!!! 

If you are interested in reading more about that surgery, please visit Max's CarePage at: 

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/MaxMacdonald

Surgery #2 - December 18, 2014

With a little more advanced warning this time, we are currently preparing ourselves to head to Edmonton for the repair of the subaortic stenosis. This surgery is scheduled for December 18th, 2014.

To follow us on this journey, please either sign up to receive our email updates or check back to this site frequently: www.miraclemax.ca