LHSC performs lifesaving aortic surgery never before done in North America
As an inventor, Jeff Pitman knew he was the perfect person to try out a surgery never before performed in North America.
“I wasn't exactly in a position to say new products don't work,” laughed Pitman in an interview from London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), Victoria Campus in London, Ont.
“I was the perfect guy to say, ‘let's try it,’” he added.
Pitman — who invented truck ladders — had an aortic dissection a couple of years ago, but some of the lesions didn’t heal properly.
“This one just got to a point where it started to block off my kidney function and both my blood flow to both my legs,” said Pitman. “I was no longer able to make my legs function. So it kind of gave me an idea that there was something drastically wrong.”
He spoke to his doctors at LHSC and they discovered a very complicated problem.
Dr. John Landau shows off the Artivion E-nside aortic stent-graft which was used to save the life of patient Jeff Pitman in London, Ont. The surgery was the first of its kind in North America. (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)“He developed another very large aneurysm and it was complicated by the anatomy,” said Dr. Luc Dubois, a vascular surgeon at LHSC. “He had very narrow area we had to work through, which is why we had to get access to this special device from Europe.”
The device is called the Artivion E-nside aortic stent-graft.
“It's sort of a fabric covered metal stent that realigns the inside of the aorta,” said Dr. John Landau, a vascular surgeon at LHSC. “We can put it inside of the aneurysm…the dissection that Jeff had to prevent blood flow from going into that dissection and aneurysm and sort of depressurize it.”
Landau describes the device as different than other stents where it is large at both ends, and small in the middle with branch stents.
“That was sort of the perfect size and shape and really the only possible device that we could use to fix Jeff's problem,” he said.
As experts in their field, and working at a large academic hospital, they were aware of the technology. They reached out to the company who indicated the device was exactly what they needed.
Dr. Luc Dubois, a vascular surgeon at LHSC in London, Ont. shows the aortic dissection and aneurysm of patient Jeff Pitman. Pitman received a life saving surgery using never before done in North America. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) They then sought approval from Health Canada for the emergency situation, who responded quickly knowing a rupture of the aorta could happen at any time.
“It was very simple and straightforward,” said Pitman, who had a recovery time of just a few weeks.
He added, “Simple from my end, as all I had to deal with lie there and present a good canvas. But they did the hard work because we explained it like building a ship in a bottle. They had to come in through the through the artery with wires guided by X-ray. It's a very cool technology.”
Both surgeons agree that this won’t be commonplace, but if there is another person who has the same problem as Pitman, they would be confident in using the technology again.
“The benefit of working in an academic institution affiliated with the university is this is something we'll share with other vascular surgeons in Canada to tell everyone how the experience went,” said Landau. “Hopefully it will allow other people to know that this is something that's out there that they can use if they come across a similarly challenging problem in their own institution."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
'Secret report' or standard research? B.C. government addresses safe supply allegations
B.C.’s premier and one of his top lieutenants are pushing back against allegations by the Official Opposition that he covertly commissioned a report into the diversion of safe supply drugs onto the streets.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
She was too sick for a traditional transplant. So she received a pig kidney and a heart pump
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.