An 11-year-old girl has become one of the first children in Scotland to benefit from a pioneering heart valve procedure which could help her avoid repeat open-heart surgery.
Alyssa Ferrie, from Bargeddie in Lanarkshire, underwent the minimally invasive procedure at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children after doctors discovered she needed a new pulmonary valve. The new treatment uses a small tube inserted into a vein to guide the replacement valve into the heart, meaning surgeons do not need to open the chest.
A dramatically quicker recovery
It meant Alyssa was home within just two days and back out playing with her friends the following week - a stark contrast to her previous open-heart surgery ordeal, when she spent five weeks in hospital.
The S1 pupil was born with severe pulmonary valve stenosis, a condition which affected blood flow from her heart to her lungs. She has lived with multiple heart conditions and has needed regular hospital appointments for ECGs and scans.
Family's relief after previous ordeal
Her mum Pamela Ferrie said: “Alyssa had open-heart surgery three years ago and she ended up in hospital for five weeks afterwards. She was in intensive care for three and a half weeks, and in an induced coma for two weeks with two collapsed lungs and sepsis.
“This had led to Alyssa having lots of anxiety, so when we heard she needed surgery again we were obviously very worried. I think we've got a bit of PTSD from the last open-heart surgery. So to find out we had the option of this new procedure, which is much less invasive, was just amazing. It has helped massively not just with her physical recovery but also mentally.”
When the family learned Alyssa could be considered for the new procedure, they were initially apprehensive. Pamela added: “The cardiac nurses gave me information about it and explained it had never been done on a child before or anyone in Scotland. I was worried that it hadn't been done before, but they gave me a lot of reassurance that it had been through a lot of trials. I knew it would be safer than open-heart surgery.”
Back to school and friends
But Alyssa's recovery was dramatically quicker than after her previous operation. Pamela said: “She was home within two days. Even when she woke up after the procedure she was mobile straight away. It was a complete game changer, to be honest.
“She was out playing the week after her surgery, back out with her friends. She started high school this month. That had been a worry of ours - if she'd had open-heart surgery she probably wouldn't have been able to start high school at the same time as all of her friends.
“It's been completely different from the last time round. With her heart conditions, it comes with a lot of anxiety, but she's getting there.”
Medical team's response
Dr Mohammad Ryan Abumehdi, Consultant Interventional Paediatric and Congenital Cardiologist for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde at the Royal Hospital for Children, said: “The introduction of self-expanding pulmonary valve technology is a significant step forward for children and young people with congenital heart disease in Scotland.
“For carefully selected patients, this procedure allows us to replace a failing pulmonary valve without the need for an open-heart operation. That can mean a much shorter hospital stay, a faster recovery and less disruption to family life.
“We're delighted that Alyssa and Mason have both done so well following their procedures and are proud to have introduced this innovative treatment at the Royal Hospital for Children.”
Jamie Redfern, Director of the Royal Hospital for Children, added: “This milestone demonstrates our commitment to bringing the latest evidence-based treatments to children and young people across Scotland. By introducing new minimally invasive technologies, we can improve patients' experiences while reducing the need for major surgery and lengthy hospital admissions.”
