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Heart of the Matter Kapi‘olani’s cardiac team helps a little girl with big problems MELLORRIE GANDER FACED A ROUGH start in life. She was born with tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect. When Mellorrie was only 2 months old, she underwent her first cardiac surgery. Carlos Moreno, M.D., Director of Kapi‘olani’s Pediatric Cardiac Program, created an emergency shunt to improve the blood flow from Mellorrie’s tiny heart to her lungs. By the time she was 4, Mellorrie had undergone two more surgeries. The first of these, performed at Kapi‘olani by Dr. Moreno and John Lamberti, M.D. (then a pediatric cardiac surgeon at San Diego Children’s Hospital), uncovered an abnormal coronary artery. The next surgery, performed by Dr. Lamberti in San Diego, was to repair the heart defect. Everything seemed fine until earlier this year, when Mellorrie’s parents noticed she was becoming increasingly lethargic and moody. Mellorrie had outgrown the original conduit, or tube, put in when she was 3, and now she needed an adult-size version to improve blood flow to her lungs. Fortunately, the operation could be done at Kapi‘olani during “Heart Week.” In April, Dr. Lamberti (now at Stanford Medical Center), Dr. Moreno and an experienced team of Kapi‘olani pediatric specialists performed the delicate procedure on the 9-year-old. “Our program at Kapi‘olani provides open heart surgery for the repair of moderately complex congenital heart defects, and our results are comparable to the best centers on the mainland,” says Dr. Lamberti. Since the start of “Heart Week” eight years ago, the number of cases has grown steadily. “As a result of the program, many families have been spared the added stress and anxiety of traveling to the mainland for open heart surgery,” says Dr. Moreno. After her procedure in April, Mellorrie felt healthy enough to begin taking tennis lessons. “This operation made a big difference for her,” says Mellorrie’s mom, May Gander. “She is happy and finally able to participate in sports, just like her brother.” The Gander family gives high marks for Mellorrie’s care. “Mellorrie has been coming to this hospital since birth, so the staff are like family to us. The wonderful doctors and nurses were always there for us, trying to ease our ordeal,” says Mrs. Gander. “The care we received at Kapi‘olani was definitely as good as the mainland, and of course, being home is always better!” MINIMAL SURGERY, MAXIMUM BENEFITS Less is more, especially when it comes to surgery. That’s why Kapi‘olani’s Pediatric Cardiac Program now offers interventional catheterization, the most technologically advanced and minimally invasive heart services available. Instead of opening the chest, procedures are performed through the groin with tiny sophisticated catheters and instruments. Interventional procedures such as cardiac catheterizations, angioplasties, stent placements and device implantations are used to diagnose and treat a variety of heart conditions, including atrial septal defect (a hole in the heart). They result in shorter recovery periods (usually only a day) and a quick return to normal activities for young patients. Kapi‘olani’s new service is headed by John Moore, M.D., M.P.H., a nationally renowned interventional cardiologist and Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. Dr. Moore performs procedures during Kapi‘olani’s “Heart Week.” “Interventional catheterization is the natural next step for Kapi‘olani's outstanding pediatric cardiac program," says Dr. Moore. "Many congenital heart disorders in children and adults now can be effectively treated through non-surgical procedures, which result in a shorter, more comfortable recovery.” For Adults Only ... For adults facing heart problems, Straub's Heart Center, Kapi‘olani's sister facility, offers a full range of cardiac services, including electrophysiology, diagnostic and interventional procedures, and minimally invasive surgery, by a team of experienced cardiac specialists. For information, call 522-4222. John Moore, M.D., M.P.H. John Lamberti, M.D. Carlos Moreno, M.D.