An experimental heart valve saves a child with H1N1

by Erin Graham on November 3, 2009

Swine flu hazard signThe Wall Street Journal features a story about a Children’s Hospital Boston patient with congenital heart disease who was stricken with H1N1 and required a new heart valve. Because the boy was too sick to undergo open-heart surgery, James Lock, MD, led a team that implanted the new valve using a catheter. Lock and Peter Laussen, MD, chief of cardiovascular critical care at Children’s, talk about how H1N1 presents a serious problem for children with heart disease.

Last week, a multicenter study led by Children’s reported good preliminary results in 30 patients receiving this catheter-implanted valve, which is threaded up a leg vein to the heart.

Tagged as: h1n1, swine flu

1 comment

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  • http://www.facebook.com/ChildrensHospitalBoston?ref=search&sid=100000131990636.2537082010..1 Children’s Hospital Boston Facebook

    *comments taken from Children’s Facebook fan page*

    Valerie Wagner Rogers
    Boston Children’s is amazing. DR. Locke is our little girls doc too . We love him

    Mitzi McIver LaBarge
    Amazing story! Dr. Lock is also amazing!

    Renee Fleet
    I love Children’s Hospital!!!!! They have the best drs anywhere!!!

    Anne Sarbanis
    Glad to hear the POSITIVE!!! Childrens’ is one of the best hospitals. TOPS!!!

    Maria Ryan Hennebury
    Is the best place to work as well.

    Dori Kelly
    The best cardio care in the world!

    Michelle Record
    My son Damen has been going to Boston Childrens and we hope to have a diagnosis soon…I have been told they are the best. They always have been good to my boy and we hope to figure out how to help him….

    Michelle Labadie
    I’ve gone to Chidren’s for many things and always had great support from staff, wouldn’t take my kids anywhere else!

    Brenda Pereira Rae
    Children’s Hospital is the best!! Amazing story!

    Lona Demers
    I have had GREAT experiences at Childrens. I have taken my oldest to the Neurology department and am now taking my youngest to the urology department and I have been treated at the advanced fetal care department. THe Md’s at Childrens are AWESOME!!!! You get the BEST care at Childrens.

    Rebecca Ellsworth Menzie
    Dr. Lock did our Grace’s cardiac cath when she was 4 months old. We are so grateful. We are praying for routine valve replacement using catheters by the time Grace will need a new valve. This article had my own heart racing with excitement. Well wishes for the patient who was treated in this article!

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