New procedure could help save lives

Submitted by Anne Milo and Jayce Yamagishi

St. Joseph Hospital ’s Dr. Berdjis Performs Life-Saving Procedure First Time Done in Orange County , California

Orange County, Calif. – Heart specialists at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange , Calif. have performed a new procedure in which they repaired a hole in the patient’s heart through a tiny incision, offering the patient a much safer alternative verses open heart surgery.

The condition, called ventricular septal defect (VSD), is a common heart birth defect, accounting for about 30% of all heart defects according to the Adult Congenital Heart Association. The condition leaves a hole in the heart, affecting blood flow and can be potentially life threatening.

“Before the surgery, I was experiencing more fatigue than before and my cardiologist knew that something had to be done, and fast ,� said Yvonne Domingos, a San Diego resident who recently underwent the VSD closure procedure at St. Joseph Hospital .

Domingos has long suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect of VSD that leaves a hole between the two bottom chambers of the heart. She had the condition at birth and at 18, she had the defect repaired. After many years, the patch that was used to correct the defect began to tear and needed to be repaired. Domingos was referred to the Adult Congenital Heart Program at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County , CA .

Dr. Farhouch Berdjis M.D., Medical Director of the Adult Congenital Program, was able to repair the hole and perform the first procedure in Orange County using an Amplatzer device. The Amplatzer Muscular VSD Occluder uses a minimally-invasive catheter inserted through a tiny incision, instead of surgery, which cuts recovery time and the need for open heart surgery. Dr. Berdjis has performed this type of procedure in Germany before, but this was the first time that the procedure was done in Orange County , California .

“I am pleased that her procedure was successful in repairing the defect in her heart,� said Dr. Berdjis. “This procedure showcases a minimally invasive procedure that is available to congenital heart defect patients throughout the community that has phenomenal results. We will be able to do even more once we open the Hybrid Operating Room.�

St. Joseph Hospital will be opening a Hybrid Operation Suite later this year that features advanced technology, robotic capabilities, and by combining minimally invasive and interventional surgical technologies, which will allow flexibility when surgeries require multiple types of procedures for a patient.