After seeing their pediatrician, the parents were referred to Mohinder Thapar, M.D. a pediatric cardiologist affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hermann. Dr. Thapar discovered elevated pressure in Noah’s lungs and referred him to pediatric pulmonologist Giuseppe Colasurdo, M.D. chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Dr. Colasurdo admitted Noah to the hospital in June for two days of testing and observation, which revealed pulmonary hypertension – high pressure in Noah’s lungs.
Suspecting that the symptoms might be secondary to a heart defect, the pulmonologist referred 2-month-old Noah to pediatric cardiologist Gurur Biliciler-Denktas, M.D, who confirmed that the infant had coarctation of the aorta, a congenital constriction that impedes the flow of blood below the level of constriction and increases blood pressure above it. While symptoms of coarctation may not be evident at birth, they frequently develop in the weeks that follow.
It was Dr. Biliciler-Denktas who referred the Koroluks to William Douglas,M.D, chief of pediatric cardiovascular surgery with the Children’s Heart Institute. “First, we met Beth Gould, Dr. Douglas’s nurse, who told us she would be our go-between with the doctors,” said Amy. “Beth introduced us to Dr. Douglas and Dr. Tsai, who met with us to explain Noah’s condition and what would happen if we didn’t treat it quickly.” Pediatric cardiovascular surgeon Felix Tsai, M.D. is Dr. Douglas’s partner in practice.
“It was a very difficult time for us,” Gabe said. “Noah is our first child and he appeared healthy at the time. It was hard to grasp the fact that his heart and lungs had to do extra work to compensate for the constricted aorta. After reading the material the doctors gave us and doing some research on our own, we decided we were comfortable with the surgery.”
Noah was taken to surgery 24 hours later. In a two-hour procedure, the surgeons freed the aorta from the surrounding tissue, placed clamps above and below the narrowed section and removed it, then sutured the two goods ends of the vessel together.
“We were so impressed with how compassionate and understanding Beth and the doctors were,” Gabe said. “It was very difficult for us to put the life of our first child in their hands, trusting that they could bring him through it. They were very sensitive to our fears and concerns.”
Amy added: “Beth came out of the operating room every time the doctors completed a milestone in the surgery – when they gave Noah the anesthesia, when they made the first incision, when they cut the aorta. This was very comforting.” After the surgery, Dr. Tsai explained exactly what they’d done. We were really impressed with the level of attention and care they gave us.”
With seven children of his own, Dr. Douglas has a special interest in the quality of care available to the children of Houston – and a sensitivity to the concerns of parents confronted with the prospect of a child who needs major surgery.
“I know that having a child with a serious heart condition is one of the most stressful experiences a family will ever have to go through,” he said. “The more serious and urgent the medical problem, the less control the family has. When you have to act quickly, you have fewer options. We try hard to keep parents informed and to reassure them as much as possible.
“It takes a talented team from the top to the bottom to perform this kind of procedure successfully,” he added. “It’s not just about the surgeons. It takes skilled cardiologists, intensivists, nurses, anesthesiologists, respiratory therapists and the rest of the team who cares for our patients and their families.”
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