Page 9 - Journal of Structural Heart Disease - Volume 1 Issue 1

Historical Perspective
Journal of Structural Heart Disease, May 2015,
Volume 1, Issue 1: 3-4
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12945/j.jshd.2015.00101-14
40 Years of Device Closure
Reflections from a Country Doctor
Terry Dean King, MD
Ochsner Pediatric Cardiology, West Monroe, Louisiana, USA
Key Words
ASD closure • Cardiac umbrella • Device closure • Septal closure
Copyright © 2015 Science International Corp.
Introduction
2015 marks the 40th anniversary of ASD closure. As I reflect on that day, I remember how quiet the Ochsner Clinic had become. Very little was being said, I suppose in an attempt to limit the nervousness in- herent in such an endeavor. We had successfully com- pleted our canine research and were presented with an opportunity to use the device on a 17 year old fe- male that was refusing surgery. I remember the rigors of the approval process, however today, I marvel at how easy it really was.
Received: January 23, 2015 Accepted: January 24, 2015 Published online: May 2015
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E-Mail: jshd@scienceinternational.org http://structuralheartdisease.org/
© 2015 Journal of Structural Heart Disease Published by Science International Corp. ISSN 2326-4004
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http://structuralheartdisease.org/
Imagine that day, beautiful weather on a crisp New Orleans spring day, normal by most accounts, but for some, the day would prove to be anything but nor- mal. Imagine the entire hospital administration and the board of directors assembled in the board room receiving moment to moment updates about the procedure. Imagine the cath lab team and the sur- gical team assembling for this first implant. Imagine the courage of a 17 year old willing to have a proce- dure that had never been done on a human. Maybe she was protected by the naivety of her age or may- be she believed herself to be immortal (common in that age group). Lastly, imagine the relief, the tears of joy and the thrill of the moment when the umbrella locked in place.
We successfully placed the King-Mills umbrella in 5 patients. They are scattered across the country, from the east coast to the west coast and from the Mississippi Delta to the Rocky Mountains. Their cur- rent ages range from 57 to 84 years and all but one are “living large” with children and grandchildren. The 5th patient we implanted the device in, died at age 84, 9 years post implant of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. All told, that is about 169 implant years.
The good news is, actually, the great news is, the devices achieved the intended goal and none of the patients had any untoward side effect. Age has a ten- dency to creep up on us all, and these patients have been no exception, however, I think it is safe to say the King Mills Cardiac Umbrella was a success.
I have been blessed to watch the advances in tech- nology in device closure. Stainless steel and Dacron
* Corresponding Author:
Terry D. King, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist
Ochsner Pediatric Cardiology
300 Pavilion Rd, West Monroe, LA 71292, USA
Tel. +1 318 323-1100, Fax: +1 318 323-1161, E-Mail: KingN@tdking.com