‘It’s life-changing’: London, Ont. hospital makes cardiac history with world-first dual heart surgery

LHSC has become the first hospital in the world to complete two highly complex heart procedures in a single surgery. Reta Ismail reports.

Doctors at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) say they have made medical history, becoming the first hospital in the world to complete two complex heart procedures during a single surgery.

The groundbreaking operation was performed by cardiac surgeon Dr. Michael Chu and his team, using new and innovative devices to treat complex aortic disease in a less invasive way.

“This is a really exciting and innovative operation where we were able to do a very complex, extensive aortic reconstruction,” Chu said. “So, the main pipe that comes out of the heart and rebuilding the rest of her aorta in a much less invasive way.”

While components of the procedures have been performed separately in the past, LHSC says this marks the first time they have been successfully combined into one operation.

“We’ve been fortunate here at Western University and London Health Sciences Center to be leaders in both of these operations, the frozen elephant trunk reconstruction and sort of novel, advanced, innovative ways to rebuild the aortic arch,” Chu said. “And we’ve also been leaders with the Ross operation as well. So, it’s a matter of putting different components together and then figuring out ways to make the operation more efficient so that patients can experience both at the same time in a less invasive way, for a faster recovery.”

The first patient to undergo the procedure, Angela of Windsor, had been living for years with a life-threatening connective tissue disorder and had previously undergone multiple emergency heart surgeries.

She says the outcome has been life changing.

“I feel grateful, optimistic. I mean, even more so,” Angela said. “I was optimistic before, but even more so now, because now I get to plan for family vacations. I can plan more things that more things that I can do away from home. And I can look forward to, potentially, [the] future, my daughter getting married or her graduating from university.”

LHSC says the world-first procedure offers new hope for patients with complex aortic disease and further solidifies London’s reputation as a leader in advanced cardiac care.

“It’s incredibly gratifying. This is why we do this,” Chu said. “You know, we’ve been able to offer her a significantly increased survival from a couple of years out to 20 or 30 years. It’s life-changing for her and her family.”

Hospital officials say the approach could reduce the need for multiple surgeries and improve long-term outcomes for patients around the world.