>>> A LOCAL DOCTOR IS THE FIRST
HERE IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA TO
GIVE YOU A NEW DEVICE TO TREAT A
HOLE IF THE HEART.
EVERYONE IS BORN WITH ONE.
CALLED A PATENT FOREMAN OVAL.
I DID GET IT RIGHT?
CLOSES SHORTLY AFTERBIRTH, BUT
FOR ABOUT 25% OF PEOPLE, ONE IN
FOUR THAT HOLE STAYS OPEN.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN AND
Dr. RUBY COMING IN AS WELL
FROM BAPTIST.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU FIRST.
YOU'RE A NURSE AT BAPTIST AND
YOU KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND
YOU JUST ALERTED YOUR DOCTOR AND
SAID, HEY, I THINK THAT IS AN
IMPORTANT POINT THAT I LIKE TO
CONTINUALLY MAKE FOR WOMEN, IF
YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG,
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALERT
SOMEBODY.
>>> YES, YES.
CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR GET GO TO
THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
>> SPEECH CHANGES.
>> Melanie: THEY DID THE TEST
AND FOUND IT WAS A MINI STROKE
WHICH IS TERRIFYING AND IT WAS
>> YES.
>> Melanie: THEY SAID YOU ARE
A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR THIS NEW
PROCEDURE WE JUST STARTED.
>> SURE, SURE.
IT.
HOLE BETWEEN THE TWO UPPER
CHAMBERS AND 25% FULLY HAVE IT.
WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THE HOLE
BUT IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS LIKE
LINDA DID THAT IS THE FIRST TIME
TO LOOK, DO YOU HAVE A HOLE IN
YOUR ASSASSINATOR IF YOU DO THE
LONG TIME AGO THE ONLY WAY TO
FIX IT IS OPEN-HEART SURGERY.
WE BASICALLY CAN FIX A LOT OF
THINGS.
>> AND THIS IS, I MEAN, IT MAKES
SENSE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT
IT DOES.
IF WE COULD PUT IF PICTURE UP.
BASICALLY A CATHETER, IT OPENS
UP LIKE A JELLYFISH AND REPAIRS.
THE VIDEO WE'LL PLAY HERE IF A
SECOND, WE GO THROUGH THE GROIN
AND TAKE THE CATHETER OFF AND GO
TO THE HEART AND ACTUALLY FIND
THE WHOLE BETWEEN THE TWO UPPER
CHAMBERS AND PUT THAT PATCH
WHICH HAS TWO DISKS WHICH GOES
ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE
HOLE.
>>> SHOW US -- CAN YOU SHOW US
AGAIN?
>> THIS IS THE BLOOD COMES TO
THE RIGHT SIDE, GOES THE LUNGS,
GETS FILTERED AND COMES TO THE
LEFT SIDE.
BETWEEN THE TWO UPPER CHAMBERS
RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT HERE, 25%
OF PEOPLE HAV A HOLE SO THE
BLOOD INSTEAD OF GETTING FILTERS
CAN TAKE A SHORT CUT AND INTO
THE BRAIN AND CAN CAUSE TROUBLE.
>> CORRECT.
>> Melanie: IN HER CASE IT WAS
A MINI STROKE.
SEVERE.
>>> CORRECT.
>>> A WEEK OFF OF WORK, OUT OF
THE HOSPITAL AFTER ONE NIGHT.
>>> WITHOUT THIS, WHAT WOULD HER
RECOVERY HAVE BEEN LIKE WITH
OPEN-HEART SURGERY.
>> OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW SHE'S
YOUNG AND HEALTHY BUT AT LEAST A
FEW DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND A
COUPLE OF MONTHS RECOVERY AT
HOME THELE ADVANTAGES -- AND THE
OTHER THING IS CONVENTIONALLY
PEOPLE WILL THINK MEDICAL
MANAGEMENT AND WE TALKED
ABOUTING DO BLOOD THINNERS FOR
THE REST OF HER LIFE BUT ALSO,
CLOSING THE HOLE, REDUCES YOUR
STROKE RISK BY 75% AND COMPARED
>>> THAT IS A HUGE FEAR.
>>> THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT
YOU REALLY HAVE TO EVEN THINK
ABOUT.
WILL SHE HAVE TO BE MONITORED?
YOU'LL HAVE TO BE FINDFUL OF
YOUR CONDITIONS IF THEY CHANGE.
>>> USUALLY I WOULD DO AN
ECOCARDIO GRAM OF THE HEART A
MONTH LATER AND A YEAR LATER
JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING HAS
HEALED AND CELLS GROW OVER THE
DEVICE.
IT BECOMES A PART OF THE WALL.
BUT AFTER THAT, THERE IS NORMAL
EVERY TO TO FOUR YEARS TYPE
FOLLOW-UP.
>>> IT SEEMS VERY SIMPLE AND
MAKES SENSE THAT WE'RE LEARNING
AND UNDERSTAND OUR HEART MORE
AND WAYS THAT WE CAN TREAT
DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WANTS
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DEVICE OR
YOU'D LIKE MORE ABOUT THIS
INTERVIEW, HEAD TO THE MORNING
SHOW PAGE ON NEWS4JAX.COM.
AND AGAIN, I ASK, I ENCOURAGE
OPINIONS SOMETIMES, BECAUSE YOU